One night stand
by Dashed
Summary: It was a drunken mistake. A fun one, but still a mistake. Now Sakura finds herself in a relationship she doesn’t want with no way out. As Ino tries desperately to get Sakura to fall in love with her she’s trying her hardest not to kill her. Sakura/Ino
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I was thinking of putting the rating up to M and have actual sex scenes but I know some won't like that so if you could let me know who's interested via a review or PM I'll take the majority opinion. Thanks!

Question, flames, comments you know where to put them…

XxXx

Sakura held up her hand. Her thin, feminine, weak hand. She curled it into a fist and clenched so hard that her nails bit into her palm and her arm shook. She could level the entire bar with this one tightened fist but she still wasn't nearly as strong enough to catch up to Sasuke and Naruto. For every one step forward they took giant leaps.

She was still just as weak as the crying girl in the alley begging Sasuke to stay.

She slammed back her sake and gestured for another. The bar keeper looked at her wearily but did as he was told. Being the Hokage's helper had its benefits, especially when Tsudane was a great believer in underage drinking for medical ninjas. W_hat you will see on this job will drive you to the bottle sooner or later kid, better now with me so I don't have to do it alone_. She irately waved her masters voice away and the bar keep sat another bottle down beside her thinking she was asking for a double. No matter, she would get to it eventually.

"What's a girl like you doing in a place like this?"

Sakura rolled her eyes as Ino slid into the stool beside her. The blonde had been trailing behind her since her return. Ino usually trailed behind her like a lost puppy nowadays. Ever since that stupid love confession last spring she couldn't get rid of the blonde. "Leave me alone Ino, I want to get drunk in peace."

"Don't you know, you shouldn't drink alone?" Ino said her voice still light but the concern clearly lit her eyes and annoyed Sakura thoroughly. She already knew she was weak, she didn't need to be pitied by the most pathetic female ninja in Konohara. "Well, you can't drink yet so you can't join me, now leave."

Ino waved to the bar keep who looked at her with his eyebrow raised in a deadpan expression before producing an apple juice and setting it in front of the blonde firmly. Ino grabbed a pink straw and placed it in her glass before settling in her chair. "But I can still keep you company!" She declared cheerily.

Sakura looked up from her slumped position her eyes narrow slits. She wondered if hitting Ino hard enough to send her through a wall would make her feel better. Ino grinned around her straw as she sat straight in her chair. Sakura sighed disgusted and grabbed her bottles and got up. She channelled her Chakra into her feet and one hand which she used to grip onto the furniture as she made her way out of the door. It was the best way to test Chakra control and avoid weaving all over the place like a drunk.

Once outside she trailed her hand over walls to keep her steady. The world was only slightly out of focus telling her she wasn't nearly drunk enough for what she wanted. Even drunk she could detect the shuffling of footsteps behind her. Ino, unlike most ninja's, couldn't keep her presence from being detected in the most basic way. Her lack of skill disgusted Sakura. "Go home, Ino!"

"I want to make sure you get home safe first," Ino said coming to stand beside Sakura since there was no point in hiding anymore.

"Trust me if any bad guy jumps out I'll be more than enough to deal with them," unless they were Sasuke or Orochimaru then she was screwed because she couldn't even stand near to ninja's like them let alone stand up to them.

"Oh I have no doubt about that," Ino grinned and Sakura guessed she was supposed to be flustered by the flirty grin. She snorted and turned away but Ino wasn't bothered at all. "But I don't think you can get into your apartment if you don't have the keys."

Sakura jerked her head around as Ino finished. The blonde danced out of her reach when she made to grab for her keys. "You little pick pocket! Give me those back!"

Ino grinned and dangled the silver trophies in her hand. Sakura saw her caterpillar keychain swing lazily backwards and forwards. She glared at the mischievous blonde. She was really going to hurt the other girl if she didn't stop fooling around. "Give me them back, now" she growled dangerously having no idea of how much she looked and sounded like Tsudane at that moment.

Ino swallowed visibly, her grin faltering before she stretched her hand out offering the keys back to Sakura. "I just wanted to help, you left them on the bar beside your empty bottles."

Sakura snatched the keys back and walked on. She remembered throwing them down at the start of the night but only just. She felt for the bottles in her inside pocket and wanted nothing more than to slump down at the next corner and finish her drinking. She wouldn't. She couldn't let Naruto see her in such a pathetic state. She had already broken her promise to him. _Next time I won't be a burden. H_uh, yeah right, she thought disgusted at herself this time. She had still got in the way and had to be rescued by the captain no less! The self loathing ate at her. She thought this time she was finally near enough to them that she could keep up but it was just a joke. All her training was just a joke in comparison to theirs.

She heard the shuffling again and turned in annoyance launching a dagger at perusing blonde. Ino dogged the projectile with all the grace of a school child but Sakura supposed she would have to give her points for actually dodging. "Ah! Sakura! That could have hit me!" Ino whined not seeing Sakura's naked fury.

"The next one will if you keep following me, Ino!" She bit out as she came to the end of the wall and had to push away. She was trying her best to stay up right as she staggered around the corner and to the safety of another wall. Controlling her Chakra was harder than she remembered. She must be drunker than she first thought. She felt herself over balance dangerously and gripped for the wall only to find thin air.

Ino was there before she actually embarrassed herself and fell. She used the blonde to pull herself up right. As drunk as she was she still noticed Ino flush at being so close to her. A dark thought slithered its way into the recesses of her mind and made itself home. Ino was pretty in a traditional way. Blonde hair, blue eyes, well proportion and appropriately weighted. Not the horrible stick thin with glaring ribs or the chubby, which rolls the breast, kind of weighted but the nice in between that Sakura had always strived for.

Ino was quick to move away once it looked like she was steady enough but she refused to release her. The dark thought uncurled itself and started to spread through her hazy mind. She wanted oblivion didn't she? She wanted to forget how weak she was and what better way to do that than use her strength to take some thing weaker than herself? Not that Ino would be unwilling. The nervous fidgeting and red stain that marked her skin told her that Ino would be very willing. But could she really do something like that? Take advantage of Ino's attraction. If Sasuke had did that to her she would have been heart broken. Her dark thought wavered in the mist of her mind as she debated it.

"Sakura…?" Ino asked puzzled.

"You might as well walk me home, we're almost there anyway," she said like she hadn't been trying to get rid of the blonde all night.

Ino was understandably confused but elated at the chance to be so near her that she didn't question her change of heart. Another thing she was failing at as a ninja. Never let your guard down.

They made it to the village chemist and up the outside steel staircase that lead to Sakura's apartment. Sakura wavered at the door and Ino thinking it was her drunkenness that made her pause took her keys from her and opened her door. She made no move to go in but just looked at Ino appraisingly. She studied the blonde under half lidded eyes. Ino was good looking and had gorgeous legs. Her eyes traced up the defined calves and firm thighs to the edge of the short skirt. The skirt that Ino had probably put on in hopes she would be doing what she was at that moment.

Ino shifted and started to fidget under Sakura's stare and Sakura came to a decision. Ino was a pathetic ninja she should at least do something useful. The dark thought firmed and reached down through her mind to curl around her body making Sakura lean forward and kiss the taller blonde on the mouth. She had to lean up to do it properly but Ino's shock made it easy to slip her tongue between full lips. She pulled away and took Ino's hand to led her into her apartment.

Ino jerked to a halt on the threshold and made no move to enter. Sakura looked back annoyed and pulled on their joined hands causing Ino to stumble into the room and straight into Sakura. They fell on the floor, Sakura was miraculously unharmed as Ino managed to fall without hitting her with stray knees or elbows. Ino looked down at Sakura and Sakura could see she was trying to distance herself from the moment or some other such nonsense.

"Sakura, I love you," she said solemnly.

Sakura fought the urge to roll her eyes. She already knew that and she still didn't care. "I know," she said neutrally at last.

"I don't want to take advantage of you when you're drunk," Ino said moving to get off her.

Sakura wasn't having any of that and brought one hand up to firmly stop the blonde's retreat "do I look like I'm not enjoying this?" She said pointing out Ino's stupidity.

"You're still drunk and I don't want you to regret this in the morning," Ino then looked away embarrassed and the flush that was spreading up her neck wasn't from arousal "I want to be with you more than anything but I don't want to be a one night stand. I want to be your girl…" Ino trailed off in embarrassment and Sakura felt like she was watching someone on television humiliate themselves. She cringed for Ino "I want to be your girl…friend."

It had probably taken a lot of courage to admit that but Sakura rather wished Ino hadn't. She tried to think of a way to get what she wanted without being saddled with the guilt of lying. "I won't regret this in the morning Ino-chan," she said slowly hoping the 'chan' suffix would charm Ino a little "I'm not having sex with you because I want to for one night," true all she really had wanted was to drink herself into a stupor but now that Ino had spoiled that plan she just wanted oblivion in the only way Ino could deliver. That made her wonder, where had the bottles she had been carrying fall to? She mentally shrugged before she gently coaxed Ino's head downwards.

Ino broke away and Sakura wanted to sigh in annoyance. "I don't want this to be meaningless," Ino said and Sakura did her best to smile and reassure her "its not meaningless to me," she said again guiding Ino down to kiss her.

"You mean it?" Ino asked softly settling down and moulding herself to Sakura's body.

Sakura shivered as Ino's thigh slid between hers and she said firmly "definitely not meaningless."

She rolled them over and sought oblivion.

XxXx

She couldn't believe she had snuck out of her own apartment but then was it really fair if she asked Ino to leave? After all the blonde was curled so happily around her pillow that it seemed rude to wake her and ask her to kindly leave. The picture of Ino in her bed made her frown even as she side stepped an elderly lady with a shopping bag. It wasn't the fact that she slept with a girl but the way Ino seemed so contented in her bed like it was normal. Like it was going to become a habit. That made her frown deepen. The thought worried her more than she would like to admit.

She entered the hospital and went to wash up and put on her scrubs. Maybe Tsudane would know what to do. If anyone had to deal with drunken mistakes on a regular basis it would be her. She tied her hair in to a pony tail glad that Ino had been able to lift her low mood at least. She really didn't like the fits of self loathing she would occasionally be hurled into after seeing the progress of her team mates.

She stepped out of the locker room and headed up to Tsudane's office. She took her assignments directly from the Hokage which did tend to annoy some of the more experienced medical ninjas which made them really push her in order to prove she was worthy of such treatment. Normally she didn't mind because it was jut more training to overcome to become the best medical ninja she could be. Now though she glared back just as fiercely when the elder ninja's give her their customary dark looks. Most flinch in surprise before finding other things to do. She hid her grin.

"Tsudane-sama?" She opened the door tentatively without knocking, if Tsudane had been drinking the knock would only irate her.

"Hey, Sakura-chan you're up early!" Tsudane burst out as she opened the door wider.

Sakura eyed her master wearily. Tsudane usually didn't speak until well after mid-day and considering the sun was only up her chirpy attitude was not only surprising but something to be feared. "You're up early yourself, sensei."

"Haven't been to bed yet!" Tsudane replied swigging coffee like it was a shot. "There's a critical patient on the bio hazard ward that could die any minute so I had to do night duty. Since he survived the night I handed him over to one of the other doctors…or a janitor, either way he's out of my hair!" Tsudane slammed the now empty cup down on the desk before surging to her feet. "What can I do you for, Saki?"

"Um," she was slightly thrown by the arm that slung itself around her shoulders "I wanted to know my duties for today, you said I still had more training…"

"Oh yeah!" Tsudane said as she guided Sakura to the door "take the morning off, I don't plan to do anything until later after I've locked you out of my office and had a few hours sleep." She lent over and opened the door for Sakura before pushing her out.

Sakura turned sharply and said "but my training-!" She needed to close the gap between her and her boys. She couldn't just take the morning off! The door closed firmly in her face tell her that in fact she could take the morning off. And had no choice but to.

She slumped irate. Her master was the most annoying and infuriating woman in the world. She still had no idea what to do about Ino!

XxXx

She walked absently down the street chewing on her thumb nail. She was still in her scrubs, if she did find someone to train her, there was no use in ruining her own clothes.

"Hey! Sakura-chan!" She looked up to see Naruto stretched on his tippy toes waving idiotically at her. She smiled in spite of herself.

"Hey, Naruto," she called back more tamer her wave was less enthusiastic.

Naruto ran towards her then stopped and doubled over huffing when he reached her. "Sakura-chan Kakashi-sensie and captain Yamato are going to teach me how to create my own special, super cool move!" Naruto grinned proudly up at her before straightening up.

"That's great Naruto!" She tried to cheer but sadness was welling up in her gut at an uncomfortable rate. She couldn't match at his current level and he was still training to become better, how could she ever catch up?

"Yeah! The next time we fight Sasuke, we'll definitely bring him back!" Naruto had his wild smile stretched to its fullest before bringing his fists to his chest and crouching slightly as his face darkened "then Sasuke will have to admit that I'm the superior ninja, because of my super cool move that will leave him breathless and amazed at the wonder that is Uzumaki Naruto!"

Sakura laughed genuinely at Naruto's heartfelt declaration. He could always make her laugh. "You better get to training then!"

Naruto's eyes widened and he nodded furiously "you're right! I gotta go before I'm late!" He took off running but still waving to her.

She lifted her hand to wave back but as soon as he was out of sight she slumped down. He had just reminded her why she wanted to get stronger. She wanted to protect his smile and eternal good humour and she wanted to bring Sasuke back and give him something to live for other than vengeance. How could not see his friends and other people cared deeply for him?

"You look glum," a warm hand slid into her own and she turned to find Ino at her side. Oh crap.

"Just thinking," she replied leaning away from the blonde and smiling nervously.

"About Sasuke and Naruto right?" Ino said with one eyebrow raised.

"Right," Sakura said slightly surprised. She didn't think anyone would notice.

"You both get that resolved look on your faces when you think of Uchiha," Ino confided and Sakura could tell she was trying her best to keep her anger out of her voice.

Sakura frowned in anger at the repressed hostility in Ino's voice. What did she know about Sasuke and his problems? She took her hand away firmly and watched as Ino's face fell. "I have to go."

"Oh, okay," Ino said sadly then forced herself to put on a cheery façade. Sai could take lessons from her, Sakura thought spitefully still not forgiving her for her unvoiced opinion of her friend. "Hey, I get off work at five why don't I treat you to dinner at Chinos, at six?"

Sakura frowned at the invite but Ino bravely pressed on. She thought her unwillingness would be enough to make the blonde go away but it didn't seem likely. "I'll be busy at the hospital," seeing how crushed Ino was as she practically shrunk into herself, she relented and kicked herself for agreeing to her plan last night "I should be free at nine, maybe then?" she offered uncomfortably.

Ino light up like a Christmas tree "that's great! Perfect even! I'll see you then!" Sakura doubted if her voice could contain anymore joy.

"You don't need to force yourself!" Sakura called to the retreating frame "it's okay if you can't make it!" But Ino just smiled and waved. Sakura cursed violently in her head as she forced her own grim smile on her face.

First thing was first, she needed to get rid of Ino before she could train in any meaningful way.


	2. Chapter 2

Sakura was busy chewing on her thumb nail thinking hard about what to do with Ino. Last night had been great. Fun, passionate and made her forget, which was the most important thing. But she didn't want it to be a regular occurrence but how could she get out of it without coming off as some insensitive jerk? Everyone would hate her for taking advantage of Ino's feelings and using her.

"Yo," a large weight slammed down on her head and she looked up to see Kiba's large hand resting on her head. She slapped the limb away not in the mood to play with the rough boy. Kiba frowned at the treatment "what has you so upset pinkie?"

Kiba and her and become sort of friends after Naruto left. She had saved Akamaru from traps in the west side of the forest earning Kiba's respect and friendship immediately. He was a surprisingly good listener and had the irritating ability to put all her problems in perspective. This denied her the joy of freaking out and over reacting but helped her come to a solution quickly. "I slept with a girl last night."

"What girl?" Kiba asked suspicious hostility radiating from his tense posture.

"It wasn't Hinata so you can relax," she said rolling her eyes. Kiba usually didn't judge her but he had a protective streak a mile wide when it came to his female team mate. Probably because he wanted to get into her pants.

"Oh, good," Kiba said before sniffing her "Ino, then?"

"Don't tell me you can smell her on me?" Sakura sighed exhausted slumping down on the steps that faced out into the east woods. Naruto was supposedly training out there. She thought she might find someone to spar with at least. All she had found was Kiba walking Akamaru. Well, he found her at any rate.

"Nope," Kiba said shortly flopping down gracelessly beside her "she just seemed the most likely," he then grinned smugly his eyes narrowing "how was she? Bet she wasn't as good as she boasts."

"Oh no," Sakura smiled widely "she's good," she shook her head furiously annoyed at herself for taking part in such revolting discussion. She glared at Kiba for bringing it up but he shrugged it off. He to her immense annoyance wasn't afraid of her. "Anyway I need to find a way of dumping her without seeming like the bad guy."

"Hhmmm," Kiba folded his hands under his chin. Silence existed between them peacefully as they watch the wind shake the trees gently. A few stray leaves had made their way towards them by the time Kiba opened his mouth to answer. "You can't. You are the bad guy here."

"Hey!" Sakura protested. As her friend Kiba should have taken her side! "I'm not a bad guy!"

"Yeah you are," Kiba turned to look at Sakura with his laser vision. He wasn't allowing her to bull shit "you knew Ino would sleep with you because she has a crush on you. You got what you wanted but now you don't want Ino anymore so your trying to get rid of her in a way that makes it seem as if you're the injured party," he saw how Sakura shrunk into herself and recognised how cornered she might feel so he added "its not the worst crime in the world. Plenty of guys have done the same. Its not that big of a deal." He shrugged because to him he honestly couldn't care what Sakura did with Ino. He wasn't Ino's friend. His opinion of Sakura wouldn't change.

"Thanks," Sakura smiled weakly before standing up and brushing herself down. She still felt unsatisfied though as she didn't get the answer she wanted. "You should just tell Hinata how you feel, you know. The worst thing she can say is she doesn't reciprocate."

"If its all the same to you, I don't think I'll be taking relationship advice from the girl in your mess," Kiba said turning away.

Sakura mentally fumed but he was right she had no right to give advice "I hope Hinata turns out to be a giant lesbian. One who loves whipped cream and leather!" She growled stomping away. She needed more submissive friends.

XxXx

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura called excitedly.

She had spent most of the morning wondering around doing nothing. She had trained a little but grew frustrated at her lack of purpose or goal and had given up. Then she had seen Kakashi-sensei hunched over a fruit stall.

"Ah, Sakura," Kakashi's eyes crinkled at the corners and Sakura knew he was smiling at her. "What can I do for you?"

"I thought you were training Naruto?" Sakura said.

"I was. It's lunch time now," Kakashi said still smiling. His fingers wondered idly over a variety of apples before settling on a fresh red one. He picked it up and studied it before pocketing it seeming satisfied at its condition. He walked away nonchalantly without paying.

Sakaru blanched her head whipping back and forth between the oblivious store owner who was engrossed in a magazine to her teacher who had just successfully shop lifted his lunch. "Sensei aren't you going to pay?!" She hissed hysterically as she ran to catch up with his easy going pace.

"Nope!" He chirped his eyes bright "it tastes better when its stolen. Now what can I do for my student?"

"Ah, Ah," she floundered stunned at the revelation. She followed behind him dazedly.

He paused at a jewellery stall "you have a birthday coming up don't you?" He said as he eyed the items on display.

"Its okay!" She said quickly grabbing his arm and pulling him away wanting to avoid a repeat offence.

Kakashi's rich voice filled the air as he laughed at her panicking face. She stopped and allowed her heart rate to slow as she became aware that people were giving her strange looks. She pressed her hands to her face in embarrassment.

"Ah, Sakura-chan, how I missed you," he said as he sat down on a bench stretching his long legs out like a cat as he bathed in the sunlight. "So what does Sakura need from me?"

"Well, it's a bit complicated…" she said sitting primly down beside her teacher not looking him in the eye.

"Is it about Sakura's new conquest?" Kakashi said lightly. Sakura's neck cracked as she turned fiercely to stare stunned at him. He had his head tilted to the side and she had the distinct impression that he was laughing at her. "If you want to avoid a reputation you must choose your future prizes with better care."

"You know? How?" She ignored the humour that laced Kakashi's voice. She was mortified that he knew. Oddly though, she wasn't surprised.

"Yamanaka-san has been loudly rejoicing," Kakashi said lightly before looking up as if recalling something "in fact I think she announced it over the loud speakers and radio."

"…Really?" all colour drained from Sakura's face as her stomach dropped to her feet. She was going to be sick.

"Only joking," he cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes in teasing laughter. She was to relieved to be mad at him. Blood flowed back into her limbs as her whole body shuddered glad that Ino didn't broadcast their one night together to everyone. "She did tell Karenai-sensei which means Azuma knows. I overheard them," he said then more seriously catching her eye "she seems to think that you've 'come around' and that you 'really care about her.'"

Sakura hide her face in her hands. She was too ashamed to look him in the eye and it helped hide the horror she felt at the news. "What am I going to do sensei?" She whispered her voice incredibly small.

"You don't have any feelings for her at all?" He asked gently and she shook her head. He sighed and sat up straight "then there's nothing for it but to tell her before the situation worsens."

"But how? Last night I let her think that I cared more for her than I did. I promised it wasn't a one night stand. How can I go up to her and tell her that she misunderstood?" She misunderstood because she was deceived but Sakura didn't like to think of it like that. Stupid Ino why couldn't she just have left her to drink herself into a stupor?

"Beats me," Kakashi said cheerily.

She glared exasperated at his less than helpful answer. "Thanks so much for that."

"You're welcome grasshopper," he said as he climbed to his feet.

"Wait sensei!" she reached for him but stopped short "I know your busy with Naruto but I was wondering when can you begin to train me again?" She felt odd at asking the question. The wrongness of it flooded through her and she felt weird for asking her teacher to teach her. She tried to shake the feeling away but it clung on tightly.

Kakashi frowned for the first time "that all depends on you Sakura."

"What do you mean?" She asked confused.

"I can't train you until you decided what kind of fighter you are. How can I train you to be the best ninja you can be, if your not sure what kind of person you are?" Kakashi said before turning away and walking off. He became deaf to her calls and she scowled angrily. What did he mean by that? She knew who she was. She wanted to be the type of ninja that could stand beside Naruto and Sasuke. She knew what she wanted.

XxXx

Sakura walked into Tsudane's office to find her glaring straight at her. She recoiled at the loathing in the gaze and immediately wanted to retreat and crawl under the dearest rock.

"Do you know what I hate Sakura?" Tsudane asked but didn't bother to wait for her answer "I hate incompetent people. I asked for a simple coffee, black, no sugar. Did you think it was to much to ask for?"

Sakura hurriedly to shake her head as the thinly veiled anger rippled through the Hokage's voice. Her foul mood was normal, it meant the world was right. It was still as scary as hell though.

"See I didn't think it was such a hard task either BUT APPARENTLY THE IDOITS OUT THERE SEEM TO THINK IT'S THE TOUGHEST TASK IN THE WORLD AS I ASKED FOR A CUP OF COFFEE FIFTEEN MINTUES AGO AND I'M STILL WAITING!" Tsudane's controlled voice broke half way through the sentence and she roared like a lioness with a thorn in her paw. Sakura mentally sent her sympathies to the 'idiot' in charge of coffee but was glad that it wasn't her on the receiving end of Tsudane's bark.

Tsudane practically growled as the door opened again and Shizune enter with paperwork and a plain blue cup. Steam rose from the mug to swirl lazily in the air and Shizune sat it in front of Tsudane like a priestess giving an offering to a pissed off Goddess. Tsudane glared at her first apprentice before snatching up the cup and chugging it like a bear keg. She sat the mug down gently and her sharp eyes relaxed as her tense muscles quiver with pleasure. She looked around the room as if taking it in for the first time "ah, Sakura, when did you get here? No matter we have some things to go over-"

"I slept with Ino!" She blurted out. Tsudane was volatile. She was in a good mood at the moment so she had to take advantage of that because it wouldn't last long.

"Who?" Tsudane blinked taken aback.

"The one that declared her undying devotion to you at the Christmas party last year?" Shizune asked at the same time.

Sakura nodded furiously then kept nodding because she found the motion addictive. She forced herself to stop as it became a nervous twitch.

"Well, congratulations," Shizune said.

"Not really you see I want to dump her. I tricked her into having sex with me because I was drunk and she was hot and now she wants to be my girlfriend and I don't want to be hers," Sakura rushed to get that out glad to finally tell someone the whole story.

"You did what?!" Shizune cried appalled. "You tricked that girl and now you want to dump her because you got what you wanted?! You're despicable!"

Shizune puffed herself up in an indignant rage and Sakura cowered thinking that the older woman was actually going to beat her. She looked very close to it as she loomed over her with her sleeves pulled up and hands balled into fists. Sakura had enough time to be desperately glad that Shizune didn't have Tsudanes insane strength before she shut her eyes tightly and brought her arms up to protect her face.

When the blow didn't come she tentatively opened one eye. Tsudane stood in front of Shizune restraining the limb that was about to inflict serious bodily harm to her other apprentice. "Now, Shizune the girl did wrong but beating her isn't going to solve anything," Tsudane put her arm gently around Shizune and guided her to the door "as her mentor I should be fully in charge of this affair."

"You're going to give her hell aren't you?" Shizune said venomously glaring over her shoulder at Sakura.

"You bet," Tsudane affirmed pushing Shizune out the door and locking it. She turned back to Sakura "YOU PERVERTED IDIOT!" She yelled slamming her fist against the locked door hard enough to make it shudder. "I'm really disgusted at your actions!" She yelled again picking up an ugly ceramic pot that Konohamaru made her in school. Her face showed great glee at smashing it against the wall. "That's right you sit there and don't say a word!" More stomping followed.

Sakura looked at her mentor like she had lost her mind. Even though Tsudane was yelling and banging there was no anger on her face or in her actions and certainly none directed at her. Tsudane continued to shout as she went behind her desk and retook her seat. She idly flipped through her paper work before throwing them up in the air so they scattered every where. "Now look what you've done! You ruined all my morning work! You're a worthless ninja! Oh twinkies!" Tsudane said gleefully as she found the wrapped treat in her desk drawer before looking fearfully at the door "I mean you're as useful as a twinkiee!" She stuffed the treat in her mouth and her eyes rolled in pleasure "ooh sweet heart attack inducing goodness."

Sakura finally got what she was doing and played along "but Sensei! I didn't mean-"

"Silence!" Tsudane roared enjoying the game and waving for Sakura to sit in front of her. She continued to shout at Sakura for a few more minutes before listening intently "yeah she's gone now. Damn Shizune and her mood swings. She would have made my life hell if I didn't seem to make yours the same."

"So can you help me?" Sakura asked glad to finally have someone on her side.

"Hell yeah, if there's one thing I know better than medicine its drunken one night encounters," Tsudane said nodded decisively "although why you would want to get rid of the cute blonde is a mystery. What's so bad about her, does she snore?"

"No," Sakura said.

"Hog the covers?" Tsudane guessed.

"No," Sakura replied becoming annoyed at the questioning.

"Is she a selfish lover?" Tsudane said with genuine interest.

"No!" Sakura cried her face going from pale to rouge in two seconds flat.

"Then what?" Tsudane asked exasperated.

"I just don't want to be with her," Sakura hedged. She knew the real reason but didn't want to admit it.

"There's got to be a reason!" Tsudane pushed. "Is she not really a girl? Oh! Is she one of those inbetweenies?!"

"I hate her!" She declared at last. Her hands clenched around the material of her scrubs in her lap. Her arms were shaking and her head was bowed because she couldn't look at her master "Ino's a pathetic ninja. Every time I look at her I'm reminded how useless girls are and I don't want to be weak like her. She makes my stomach want to be sick. I hate feeling that way about her and I hate feeling that way about myself!"

"Then what was last night about?" Tsudane asked surprised at the answer and the emotion in Sakura's voice as she answered.

"I wanted to feel strong and I choose her because she was easy and there. I'm a horrible person but I can't be around her and not hate her. I didn't think I was the type to take advantage of someone but…" she was just as pathetic. She grinded her teeth hard together hoping to crush the truth. She snapped her head to the side as she felt the prickling in the back of her eyes telling her that tears were emanate. Pathetic, crying at her age in front of her teacher.

Tsudane leaned back in her chair and used her hand to support her face as she looked at Sakura critically. The silence hung like a noose about Sakura's throat and she felt it slowly contract creating a lump. She knew if she opened her mouth breath stealing gasps would come out and choke her. She couldn't look anywhere near Tsudane.

"Hm," Tsudane snorted at last shifting in her chair. "I didn't care that you picked up someone and had a good night. That's Shizune's hang up because many times she's been the Ino in this scenario but now, look at me Sakura!" Her eyes jerked up to Tsudane's automatically at the use of the sharp tone. Tsudane's eyes impaled her with their intensity "if you dump this girl or allow her to dump you, I will tear off your head band and exile you from Konohara!"

Sakura flinched at the sharp unyielding tone in Tsudane's voice. Then gaped at the sentence "what? Sensei why? You can't do that!"

Tsudanes eyes narrowed at her last exclamation "I can do anything I want. I am Hokage! Don't you think for one second I'll go back on my word! Now GET OUT!"

Sakura scrambled out of the chair and tore open the locked door without taking the time to unlock it. The door ripped off its hinges but she didn't stop to apologise. She kept running. Shizune watched her with satisfaction painted all over her face.

XxXx

"Hey, Shikamaru!" Sakura pulled back quickly to hide in the shadows as Ino's vioce floated on the midnight air.

She was crouching on a roof not that far away from her apartment. She had been in a state of shock after Tsudane's proclamation and had worked like a drone. She took the time between chakra burns and stab wounds to adjust to her new predicament. She finally decided to avoid Ino with work at the hospital. Tsudane couldn't really be serious. She might be Hokage but she couldn't force people to be together. Her inner Sakura didn't sound all that confident. She had been on her way home when she heard Ino's voice. She had spent a good deal of the day avoiding her and now of all the rotten luck it seemed she ran into her on the street. At least she managed to hide in time.

"Hey, Ino," Shikamaru's deep voice said in reply to Ino's greeting "what's that you have there?"

"oh, this? Just some food for Sakura and I," Ino said and Sakura flinched at both the mention of her name and the happiness that spiked in Ino's voice as it was mentioned.

"Hhhmm I thought you had a date with her," Shikamaru said but it sounded like a statement. Sakura could just picture his slumped posture as he stood with his hands deep in his pockets.

"Yea we did, but she must have been really busy so I'm going to take some food to her," Ino said still not loosing her happy vibe. Sakura was kind of hungry now that she thought about it.

"She stood you up," Shikamaru said flatly.

Sakura winced. It sounded so mean and blunt when he said it. "No, she was just very busy," Ino said but she could hear the insecurity in the voice which meant that Shikamaru definitely noticed it.

"She stood you up, Ino," he said steadily and Sakura wondered why he was pushing this. Shikamaru wasn't known for his meddling nature. "I've watched you trail after her for months now and her not even know you exist, why do you think its suddenly changed?" There was silence and Sakura guess that some non verbal communication was going on or else Shikamaru was waiting for Ino to respond. "You slept with her," he stated with contempt. The harshness of his voice cut through Sakura who wasn't even on the receiving end of it.

"That's none of your business!" Ino snapped. There was a rustling of bags being shuffled.

"It is if I'm going to be the one who has to listen to you crying. Again." He snapped back before sighing and Sakura could just imagine him pinching his brow in his typical 'bothersome' pose. "Ino you're my friend I don't want to see you hurt."

"It's different this time Shikamaru, she really likes me. She said so last night," Ino said softly.

"Don't be so naïve Ino," he scoffed and Sakura found herself becoming oddly defensive. Who was he to tell her how to feel? She barely speaks to Shikamaru so why does he think he has some key insight into her feelings and motivations?

"I'm serious Shika, she likes me back," Ino argued fiercely.

"Then why has she been going around all morning and asking for advice on how to dump you?!" He shouted finally loosing his cool.

Sakura felt like he slapped her. Oh, crap he knew and now Ino knew. She was screwed. Tsudane's threat rang loudly in her ears. She had to do something before Ino dumped her. Her mind cast furiously around for an idea. Any idea.

"Why would you say something like that?" Ino sounded like someone had ripped her apart.

"Ask her yourself, she right over there," he pointed to her hiding place.

Crap. She was screwed.

"Sakura…?" Ino called unsurely into the darkness.

Sakura was paralysed. Should she go? Should she stay? What would she say if she did? Her feet shifted and she was surprised to find her landing directly in the middle of the pair of friends. The smile of curry ramen weighed heavily on the crisp night air and Sakura wished that she could blend into the background like Kurenai sensei could. "Hey…?" she smiled weakly but Shikamaru didn't bother to smile back. Ino, however, beamed brightly on seeing her and rushed to her side to link their arms. The curry burned her leg but she didn't shift it. Seeing Shikamaru watching her like a hawk made her feel twice as small and about as graceful as Naruto flirting. She was very aware of Ino's presence at her side. The foriegness and unfamiliar weight made her feel trapped.

"So lets hear the explanation," Shikamaru said at last.

"It doesn't matter," Ino said shortly "if Sakura had a problem she would come directly to me and say so. That's the type of person she is. She doesn't sneak behind peoples back. She's honest." Ino looked at her with complete trust that Sakura felt like a dog for her earlier actions. Such faith, especially misguided, was humbling. "Right?"

"…Right." Sakura said but she couldn't look Ino in the eye.

"I wonder," Shikamaru said glaring coolly at Sakura. He knew she was lying and he was silently promising, no threatening, that he was keeping an eye on her.

"If you don't mind Shikamaru, we have a date to finish," Ino said just as coolly and dragged Sakura past Shikamaru.

Her eyes where drawn to his like magnets. He was promising her untold suffering if she hurt Ino. She looked blankly back. She had no idea how to respond to that. The eye contact was only a second but it felt like forever before she passed him. She let out a sigh of relief and Ino smiled at her. She felt herself smiling weakly back.

They where going on a first date. At her apartment. With cold curry. So much fun.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the reviews and the corrections! Honestly the misspellings of Tsunade and Konoha I have no excuse, well I do but they're all bad ones. I was ashamed. I took some of your comments on board and I think you'll be happy with the next few chapters. Thanks again!

XxXx

Ino reached for her hand in the darkness and Sakura moved it to side and away. Ino was even reaching for her in her sleep. The moon light shone beautifully on her pale skin and made her hair shine giving her the grace of a halo that Sakura wouldn't touch. Ino slept on her stomach the sheets ended halfway up her spine still leaving a small raised trail to follow to one shoulder and slender neck. Her blonde hair cover her other shoulder and her face was peaceful in a way Sakura longed for.

They had had curry reheated on her stove before Ino decisively sat down her fork and kissed her. She hadn't protested as her fatigue from working at the hospital suddenly fled. She had allowed Ino to guide her to her own bedroom and they had sex for the second time. Ino had been really…generous was the only word Sakura could use to describe her. She had spent an eternity teasing her breasts and thighs, somewhere she didn't know she was sensitive before Ino had given her one breath stealing kiss and made her beg with her fingers. She had came so hard that she fell asleep, much to her deepest embarrassment. But Ino hadn't minded, she had fallen asleep beside her un-sated and still looked as untroubled and contented in her sleep than Sakura had ever felt in her life. She was jealous of the happiness Ino seemed to get from their contact.

She sighed, she was propped up on her side studying the girl that she had been saddled with for the future. She just had to stand her until Tsunade forgot about her threat. Knowing her mentor's fickle nature she didn't expect it to last for more than a month, two tops.

She tried to tell herself that it wasn't the worse thing in the world. She would be busy with the hospital, missions and training. She might not even see Ino much and when she did they could always just have sex to pass the time. Sakura did smile at that because Ino was very good at sex. Tonight had been different because she wasn't drunk so could fully appreciate the hotness of the blonde as she twisted and panted above her. But still when she touched Ino, when she kissed her and fondled her before she thoroughly humiliated herself by sleeping, she felt the disgust well up in her. The noises and faces Ino made where unequivocally girly. She was so weak in everything that Sakura had to fight down the impulse to leave the bed. She owed it to Ino to stay until the morning this time. She squished the heavy feeling in her stomach at the thought of staying the whole night with Ino.

She laid down and pulled the covers over herself. Ino reached for her again, encouraged by the movement, but she again evaded the grab.

XxXx

She hadn't spent any time with Ino since their second night together as the hospital did keep her busy like she thought. An epidemic of colds had sent every old woman and hypochondriac to her ward. Each and everyone swore they were dying from the flu and that she had to get rid of it _right now! _It didn't matter how much she explained that they hadn't found a cure for the common cold they ignored her and cried louder about their symptoms.

"Look at this! Look at the colour! Its not natural at all!" One of the hypochondriacs thrust his used tissue into her face and she gritted her teeth as she jerked away. "Yes Mr Pep it does seem to be an intense shade of green but I'm telling you that its part of having a cold nothing more sinister."

Still unconvinced Mr Pep shook the tissue widely at her "you know I've heard of jutsu's that attack the body and make all the liquid violently expel through the nose-!"

"Yes, Mr Pep, it's a technique used commonly by Hidden Mist ninja's but since it takes effect immediately and expels all water within fifteen seconds, I highly doubt you've been cursed," Sakura said loosing her patients. Oh god she wanted to hit him.

That seemed to quieten the man down. For a second. "But it could be a more slow acting modification of it!" he said elated at the possibility that he could be dying.

"You know, you're right," Sakura said feigning interest "I better go run some tests on that." She quickly excited the curtained cubical.

Mr Prep's voice called out to her "won't you need the tissue?!"

She shuddered and resolved to shrug it off when another problem came at her.

"Hey," Ino smiled shyly at her getting up from the hard plastic chair. She must have been waiting for her. Like she had every day for the last two weeks.

Sakura smiled back weakly before grabbing a chart and making her way to the next patient. "Hey, you're here," again she added mentally. "Good afternoon Jonas," she said pulling back the curtain of the bed where an actual sick man lay. "How's the burn this morning?"

"Eh," Jonas shrugged through the bandages. He had been in a bad battle during a border patrol and most of his skin was charred. "Can't complain especially with a cute doctor taking care of me, you know when she's getting here?"

"Ha ha," Sakura relied drolly secretly amused. Jonas was a kidder which was amazing considering his position. " You must be on your funny half an hour," she checked his chart and monitor systems. They all seemed normal. Tsunade was handling his burns herself since they were so sever. Her job was to monitor and observe.

"I don't mind settling for the hot blonde nurse," Jonas joked but as Sakura looked up she spotted the leer in his eyes. She frowned.

"I'm not something to settle on, Jonas," Ino teased back easily striking a pose that made them both catch their breath. "I'm something you strive for."

"If I weren't in this bed I'd strive all night," Jonas made a show of flexing his bandaged hands and Ino laughed.

"You seem fine," Sakura said rolling her eyes and replacing his chart. She pulled the curtain to his vocal displeasure and guided Ino away by the elbow "what are you doing here, aside from trying to excite burn patients?"

Ino had a wide smile on her face for an unknown reason that still managed annoyed Sakura "I thought we could go out tonight. The cinema is showing that horribly cheesy romance that you love, what was it? The mystery of the love ninja…?"

"The magical jutsu of the heart?!" Sakura squealed like a fan girl and heard a gawf of laughter behind the curtain. She blushed embarrassed and turned away "I mean that silly old romance? I grew out of those years ago, Ino" no she hadn't. She adored the books and still kept them on her shelf. She winced, Ino had stayed at her apartment frequently enough to have spotted the books. She was caught in her thin lie.

"Well maybe you would want to go to laugh at them then?" Ino asked seriously but her eyes glittered in a knowing way. Sakura was thankful she wasn't calling her on her lie.

"Oh, sorry" she said hoping she sounded sincere "the hospital is really busy and I have to work late tonight." She had just been given a new appreciation of the cold that was going around.

"Again?" Ino asked disappointed. Her entire body seemed to wilt like a crushed flower and Sakura gave a tight sympathetic smile. Inside she was cheering on the coughing and sneezing individuals. Ino seemed to resign herself to another failed date. Ino always held the flash of insecurity in her eyes when they talked. She always walked on egg shells around her and as a result Sakura got away with many things that if she actually was Ino's girlfriend would be neglectful and make her feel guilty.

"I don't mean to butt in-" Shizune came out of no where to step up beside them.

"Then don't," Sakura cut in rudely. She could sense Shizune about to sour her victory. The woman had given her nothing but grief ever since the day in her office.

"But I could cover Sakura's shift for the night," Shizune continued ignoring her completely and talking to Ino.

Ino couldn't have been more excited than if someone told her that Christmas and her birthday had all come early. "Really? I wouldn't want to trouble you," Ino said but was already bouncing at the possibility.

"It's no trouble at all," Shizune smiled sweetly at them and Sakura realised how much she didn't like her. "It gives me a chance to keep an eye on the Hokage anyway, besides, Sakura has been working so hard lately, day and night, every hour god sends practically," Shizune continued with faux sweetness secretly wishing Sakura a painful death. Sakura stared back, her insults less veiled. "She could uses a rest and what better way to do it that with a date with her girlfriend?"

Shizune hurled the title of girlfriend at her like a dagger. Sakura felt it sink deep inside her chest and sit their burning. Girlfriend. Ino. Ew.

"You told her about us?" Ino said quietly turning to Sakura. Her face was slightly pink and she was incredibly pleased with the title. Sakura nodded trying to pass her grimace off as a shy smile.

"Heck, why don't you take tomorrow afternoon off as well Sakura?" Shizune twisted the knife with a gut wrenching smile. Ino squealed excitedly and hugged Shizune in her happiness. She turned her megawatt smile on Sakura who was standing there stunned "I'll pick you up at seven, at your place!" She was given a hug as well before Ino floated out the door in a state of bliss.

Sakura turned a savage glare on Shizune "I hate you," she said shortly trying to fill the little sentence with all her venom and loathing.

"Well, your girlfriend seems to think I'm the best," Shizune said smugly.

Her hands itched to wipe the self satisfied grin off her face. "Why don't you date her then!" She snapped but Shizune had turned and flounced away. She hated her.

XxXx

Sakura couldn't have stopped Ino paying for the tickets if she had suddenly materialised the nine tales and physically stood in front of her. Ino was determined to be the perfect date. She had shown up to Sakura's apartment with the most beautiful flowers. Their was an array of complimenting fragrances and Sakura wished she had paid attention more in class so she could work out their meaning. For all she knew the flowers meant that by taking them she was entering into a floral contact to have Ino's babies.

She had dressed casually in dark green cargo pants and a white sleeveless shirt with an open collar. They were going to the movies so she didn't think she needed to make a huge effort. She had actually been nervous until Ino showed up wearing a long royal purple top belted at the waist with a pair of jeans and gold sandals. It annoyed Sakura slightly that Ino still looked more glamorous without trying than she did. Next time she would dress Ino into oblivion.

Sakura only managed to get away with paying for her own popcorn by distracting Ino with the tried and tested 'look over there!" Method. Ino had frowned at her but quickly recovered and they made their way to the movie.

Sakura kept most of her attention on the movie, it was after all one of her favourite books turned film, but she made sure to keep an eye on Ino's hands. She was slightly relieved to find she wasn't the only girl there. She had had fears that she would buy the ticket but the movie was so bad she would be the only one in the theatre. It was actually the opposite. Every couple in the village seemed to be here. Sakura mentally laughed, every girl here must have dragged their boyfriend to see this as they would never come voluntarily. They had trouble finding a seat and had to settle for two in the middle of the room. At least she didn't have to strain her neck.

The movie flashed to life.

A hill top over flowing with white dandelions. Two men glare at each other both in formal kimonos with their swords drawn.

"Akia I will slay you for dishonouring my lady loves name!" Cried the orange haired man running towards the dark haired Akia.

The dandelion seeds shot into the air with violence as Akia parried the blow and both men skidded apart.

"Oh, it starts with a fight scene," Ino whispered to the man sitting next to her. Sakura glared at her for talking then glared at the man's girlfriend for glaring at Ino for talking. The guy smiled and swung his arm around his girlfriends shoulders. Sakura decided that neither Ino or the rude bitch was going to stop her enjoying her movie. She wanted to stuff her mouth full of popcorn but didn't want to seem like a pig so contented herself to eat it one carnal at a time.

"_Dishonour your lady? Phaw! Your lady has no such honour to disgrace!" Akia smirked the wind blowing his gorgeous raven locks over his girlish face. "Don't you know Kyo that she was…a prostitute!_

Dramatic music flooded the room and Sakura despite having read the novel gasped in surprise along with everyone else.

"_Lies!" Kyo roared swiping at Akio again._

"_It was three years ago I met her in the red light district of Terra," _Akio laughed evilly and Sakura swooned. She honestly didn't like him when she was reading about him but the actor was just so cute and portrayed his evilness with a sexy air that wasn't in the book. Ino snorted and mimic his hair flip and Sakura glared at her again.

The screen went blurry and forget me nots floated over it to signify the time change. It was three years ago and Akio was walking down a grimy city. He ran into Nikita, the exotic foreigner and from there Sakura didn't care who did what or what she looked like when she was shoving popcorn into her mouth a fist full at a time.

Halfway through when Akia had slept with Nikita for the final time and sad music played as he ripped up her love note Ino yawned. Sakura was well prepared for this tactic as she had seen the boy beside Ino try it not five minutes before. She was so intent on flinging Ino's arm away when it crawled onto her shoulders that the hand that brushed hers in the popcorn bowl took her completely by surprise. Ino wasn't looking at her but a small smile quirked her lips. Sakura glared at the theft but moved the bowl closer, she had been hogging it. Occasionally she would feel Ino's warm hand brush her own and she wasn't disgusted.

Sakura couldn't help it. She wept loudly and unashamedly as Nikita lost her baby and Kyo found out he was actually the father after deserting her for six months when Akia fooled him into thinking it was actually his. Kyo had only just realised that he loved Nikita enough that he didn't care who the baby's biological parent was as long as he could be the father when it grew up. They where reunited for a precious few days before the miscarriage and tragedy struck Nikita again. Ino placed her arm over Sakura comfortingly and Sakura burrowed into the warm shoulder. It was a million times sadder watching it that reading about it! The actors were so good! Oh poor Kyo and Nikita!

Sakura couldn't see Ino's elated face through her glassy eyes but the blonde was smiling broadly at the contact. Sakura sniffed and heard a hundred others girls echoing her actions.

"_Kyo when Akia raped me he passed on a disease. I'm dying." Nikita sobbingly confessed._

"_I don't care," Kyo declared passionately kissing Nikita forcefully._

_Nikita pushed him away and cried "No! If we continue you'll get the disease as well!"_

"_I don't care," he turned Nikita back to him gripping her shoulders before kissing her again._

"_Don't you understand that you'll die," Nikita said tearfully._

"_My life's not worth living without you Nikita," Kyo whispered in her ear._

"_Oh Kyo," she melted against him and then the sounds of passion filled the screen. _

Why didn't she bring tissues?! Sakura wiped her nose on the paper napkin that she had got with her popcorn. Kyo's love for Nikita was so inspiring, why couldn't she find that? She looked at Ino who was mocking the corny dialogue along with the guy sitting beside her. Her razor sharp glare must have cut into Ino as she turned a moment later and snapped her face out of the screwed up joking expression. She grinned sheepish at Sakura before leaning quickly over and kissing her forehead smoothing out the anger wrinkles that were twitching.

"_Oh Nikita," Kyo said with heartfelt devotion "our love has cured the disease, now all of Terra can live in eternal peace."_

"_Oh Kyo," Nikita said breathlessly "When you were sick and dying and could barely move. I didn't think you could rescue me from Akia's evil trap but the power of our love triumphed and now we can be together always!"_

"_Come, Nikita, lets go home and start our own family," Kyo took her hand and they walked off together in the dandelion meadow. Nikita stopped and turned and faced the screen "love. It's the magical jutsu of the heart." the Screen went blank and the movie finished._

Sakura let out a breath. It had been so moving. It was one of the rare times that a movie surpassed the book. She stood with the rest of the girls and clapped her heart out to the ending credits. She was so glad Shizune tricked her into seeing it.

XxXx

"So what did you think?" Sakura asked dying to talk about the movie.

Ino shrugged beside her but a smile played along her face "it was okay I guess."

"Ok? Ok?" Sakura repeated in disbelief "it had everything! Drama! Romance! Angst! Comedy! Action! And a happy ending! How could a movie with all that simply be 'okay'?"

Ino laughed softly "it had action? Where?"

Sakura turned her head away frostily.

"Aw! Sakura! Don't pout," Ino teased grabbing Sakura's hand and turning her back but Sakura wasn't ready to forgive her yet. "I thought the actors at least looked hot." She offered in an attempt to appease her date.

Sakura narrowed her eyes "Who?"

"That Nikita girl was great and her boyfriend, they would make cute babies together," Ino said aware of the jealousy in Sakura's eyes.

Sakura scoffed "you have such bad taste. If anyone was hot it would be the guy who played Akia."

Ino pulled a face "yeah if you like dark, evil and rude girly boys…" Sakura looked around after the pause had lasted too long. Ino's eyes were dark and she was frowning.

Sakura immediately felt herself tense and become defensive as she realised what the problem was. The description had seemed to much like Sasuke and she didn't care what Ino thought of him he was still her friend. But no argument came. Ino determined not to ruin their date made herself visibly relax and step over the conversational landmine. "You had to admit that it was melodramatic in the extreme."

Sakura not wanting to fight didn't protest at the obvious attempt to force the conversation onwards. "But that doesn't make it bad. It makes it better in fact!"

The argument lasted right until her apartment door and Sakura opened it and walked in still heatedly advocating the films many accolades didn't notice Ino hadn't followed her until she was deep within the living room. She slowly backtracked to the door to find Ino waiting there patently grinning. "Aren't you coming in?" Sakura said not expecting anything other than a 'yes' answer.

She was surprised when Ino shook her head still grinning. "I never go in to a girls apartment on a first date."

Sakura rolled her eyes and stepped before Ino and grabbed her hands to pull her into the apartment thinking she was being coy. But Ino resisted. Sakura's face folded tightly in confusion and slight annoyance "what's wrong?"

"I'm serious," Ino said taking her hands back. "I think we should put that aspect of our relationship on hold and concentrate on getting to know each other better."

"Ino, I grew up with you and I went to school with you, I pretty much know everything about you," Sakura said her voice brooking no arguments.

Ino ignore the tone and instead shook her head "oh yeah? If your so sure you know everything about me then do you know how many people I've dated before you?"

Sakura felt like she had been slapped. Ino meant it as nothing more than a teasing remark but it burrowed its way into Sakura's head and flipped her emotions from mild to extreme annoyance.

"See?" Ino said lightly thinking she had made her point. She lent over to kiss Sakura's forehead and whispered "good night Sakura-chan. Don't miss me to much, ne?" One last kiss and she was gone.

Sakura slammed the door behind her. Ino was stupid if she thought she could say something like that and not have it bother her. She caught the hot raging emotion that surged through her and recognised it as jealousy. She had nothing to be jealous about, she didn't really love Ino. She didn't particularly like Ino. Ino was a pathetic ninja. She shouldn't be getting worked up about her. The old familiar mantle of disgust settled on her shoulders when she thought of Ino. It chased away the burning jealousy because Sakura didn't have anything to be jealous off.


	4. Chapter 4

Sakura lay in bed on her back staring a the ceiling. She was mediating and being quietly reflective. She was not obsessing over what Ino said. She turned to lie on her side and gazed at the side of the bed that Ino usually occupied. It wasn't as if Ino had came forcefully in and staked out the left side of the mattress that faced the window. It just sort of happened that whenever they had sex she would naturally flop there until Sakura finally started to think of it as Ino's side. She rolled again on to the side to reclaim it. The whole bed was hers. The apartment was hers. Ino had no place in her life. She was going to sleep despite the nagging itch in her pants. She had been sexually active for a few nights and her body had come to expect that before going to bed. She threw the covers off herself annoyed. Ino and her damn refusal.

XxXx

Sakura stumbled sleepily to the door and yanked it open. She swore if it was Naruto and the world wasn't ending she would flay him alive. Wrong blonde. Ino stood there grinning, she held up a brown paper bag. "Hey, I brought breakfast," she chirped and Sakura squinted at her. Ino moved to walk into the room but Sakura stood firm. She straightened and folded her arms. Ino sensing her presence wasn't a welcome one turned her smile down a notch and lowered her voice "I know you're probably tired and this was the first morning lie in you've had in awhile but I wanted to do something nice for you."

Sakura remained unmoved.

"Well, it was also selfish as I wanted to see if Sakura-chan was still as cute in the morning without a long night," Ino insinuated trying to lighten the mood with playful allusions to their sex life. Sakura did not appreciate the reminder that it had taken her hours to get to sleep without being satisfied.

"Who was she?" Sakura said at last her face hard.

Ino frowned and her eyes darted about trying to find where Sakura pulled her question from. She was forced to give up and raise and eyebrow in question "who?"

"The other woman you slept with. Or was it more than one?" A sudden thought struck Sakura "It better have not been Shikamaru!" It would explain why he was so hard on her lately. He ignored her to the point of blatant rudeness and refused to enter any conversation she was present or discussed in. He was probably pissed Ino had stopped sexing him up to sex her up, she thought absurdly. What if she didn't stop at all? What if Ino had been with him last night? How dare she cheat on her! Her only half woken up mind raged on not giving Ino a chance to explain herself.

"Ew, I wouldn't touch Shika with a barge pole!" Ino shuddered and Sakura detected guanine disgust and relaxed immediately "that's like incest," after the initial revulsion wore off Ino retreated into herself. "As for the others-"

"Others?! Others as in plural?!" Sakura cut in with disbelief. She had to have herself tested! She had had no idea of what kind of slut Ino was!

"No! I meant the others as in other questions!" Ino said frantically back peddling.

"Oh," Sakura said slightly more calm. She refolded her hands in front of her chest and shifted her weight to one side. She was in the classical waiting pose and if Ino didn't hurry up she would be tapping her foot in a minute.

"Can we do this inside?" Ino said gesturing to her couch.

No Sakura didn't want to do this inside. She wanted to make Ino squirm and reveal all her dark secrets right there, right now for everyone to hear. Except she didn't want people to know that Ino was her forcefully made girlfriend. She jerked to the side and let Ino pass. The hostility that radiated from her made Ino tread a wide birth so she didn't annoy her.

Ino sat of the edge of the couch and Sakura remained standing, she would use the height difference to intimidate the blonde. Ino swallowed hard. "You're the only person that I've loved," she started off not looking Sakura in the eye. Sakura remained firm she hadn't responded to any other declarations of love either. The silence went on and Sakura waited impatiently. Ino hesitated "I…" she jerked her head up and looked Sakura in the eye "I haven't been with anyone else," she said stiffly then continued in a normal tone "I only said that to annoy you. I want us to go slow. I really want this to work."

"Oh," Sakura said the iron bands across her chest lightening significantly. She could admit that Ino being with anyone else annoyed her to no end. She always was a possessive child and saw no need to share her newest toy with anyone. She nodded satisfied with her own rationalisation. Ino took that to mean that she was no longer angry and looked relieved.

"Great, lets have breakfast!" Ino said rummaging in the brown bag.

Ino looked up in confusion as her elbow was firmly gripped and she was pulled up from her seat. "What?"

"I have been working non-stop the last few weeks. On top of that I had Shizune training me and that bitch hates me. I am sick, sore and tired and really don't want to see anyone," Sakura informed Ino dragging her to the door "I plan to spend my afternoon sleeping and maybe if I can submit myself to it, I'll take a bath. But who knows? What I do know is that I don't want to see or talk to anyone and that includes you," Sakura said sweetly pushing Ino out the door. She lent on the wooden barrier and took great satisfaction in watching Ino's befuddled look. "Thanks for the breakfast…honey." She kissed Ino's confused mouth then cheerfully slammed the door closed and turned to lightly strut into her bedroom.

She was tired enough to sleep the whole day away but she would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy torturing Ino in payback for last night. She grinned as she flopped down on her bed. If Ino wanted to do slow, she could do slow. She could do glacier in fact.

XxXx

Sakura tied her hair in a simple high pony tale. Some strands fell down to frame her face but the effect was rushed and entirely unplanned. Sakura flopped against the wall and slid downwards. Her everything ached.

"five minutes kiddo and you're on again," Tsunade said cheerily pulling on her coat. "I'm off to Itichy's."

Ichigo's being the closes bar to the hospital. Sakura nodded, even after so long she still didn't have the stamina of Tsunade but she was to tired to be annoyed about it. "Oh, I forgot to ask," Tsunade said turning back halfway "how's things with Ino?"

"Good," Sakura nodded tiredly wanting to curl up and sleep. It was as if she never had the morning off.

"So has your thoughts changed any since last time we talked?" Tsunade asked watching carefully for Sakura's reaction.

Sakura looked up and tried to read what answer her mentor wanted but Tsunade's blue eyes gave nothing away. "What am I suppose to learn from her?" She demanded angrily.

"Ah," Tsunade sighed waving away her demand airily. To Tsunade Sakura was a jack russell barking at a rottweiler. "Got to figure that out on your own, kiddo. Join me at the bar later if you feel like it." And with that she was gone.

The anger didn't leave Sakura though it festered and grew until she finally had had enough and stormed out. Shizune tried to stop her but Sakura brushed on past taking no notice. She had no idea of where to go. She was just so fed up with Tsunade and her liaise faire attitude that she couldn't be near anything that she had been near.

An idea occurred to her and she went to get her supplies. Ino still lived with her mum and dad above the flower shop. She ran the place instead of them now, the only times they took over was when Ino had to go on a mission but that usually didn't happen often. Not wanting to disturb the elder Yamanaka's, Sakura went around back and threw stones at Ino's window. Ino appeared looked extremely annoyed but catching site of Sakura her face lifted immediately. "Hey," she waved settling down at her window.

Sakura lifted the bag of food and the movie she got "I stormed out, want to have dinner before Tsunade kills me?"

"Sure!" Ino replied eagerly then covered her mouth and quickly looked behind her. "I'll be down in a minute let me get dressed," she called in a softer voice.

They made their way back to Sakura's apartment and Sakura not really in the mood to talk turned the movie on right away. Ino was the only person she knew that didn't slurp her noodles. Sakura thought it was odd as she ate her own trying to force herself to be quite but still slurping. The movie was some horrible action comedy about two interracial ninja's trying to solve a murder case. It had lots of explosions and was the type of thing Naruto would love. She thought since Ino hated her movie this would be more to her liking. Unfortunately she was right. Ino laughed outrageously at the cheesy one liners and kept turning to see if Sakura shared the enjoyment. Sakura always smiled back but rolled her eyes afterwards. Well, as long as one of them was happy.

After the movie was over and their plates were stacked in her kitchen to haunt her for the rest of the week until she felt like doing them, Ino turned to her. She stretched out a hand to play idly with Sakura's hair. They where sitting close together so Ino didn't have to reach far. "Want to tell me why you stormed out of the hospital? Not that I'm complaining about late night visits or anything." Ino tilted her head to the side and Sakura recognised the unconscious habit she had of doing that when she was listening intently. It never happened in school.

Sakura shrugged. She couldn't tell Ino that she was the cause of the fight because then she would have to tell her why and Ino would break-up with her and she would be kicked out of the village. Sakura sighed and shifted. She was tired but knew avoiding the question would take more effort so replied "Tsunade has been really annoying the last few weeks. She keeps pushing my training off or making Shizune take me and she hates me," which was true but Sakura didn't mind it that much as Shizune was still an awesome medical ninja and she had a lot to learn from her but, "its just that Kakashi-sensei is busy with Naruto along with captain Yamato and Sai has his ANBU training. I guess I'm just feeling a little abandoned that's all." She was surprised at how true the confession was.

"Aw poor you, you're frustrated and have no release points," Ino sympathized a tad mockingly. Sakura knew Ino wasn't being mean but that her natural response to problems she had no idea how to solve was to mock them. It still annoyed her enough to pull away though. Ino grabbed her and pulled her back on the couch. "Don't get all grumpy! Hey!" Sakura actually saw a light bulb go on behind Ino's eyes "why don't we train together tomorrow?"

Sakura laughed at the idea but then stopped as Ino was actually serious. She tried to think of a way to get out of this without hurting Ino's feelings "thanks I'd love to but I don't want to be brought up on domestic abuse charges," she tried to make a joke out of it.

Ino laughed "come on it'll be fun!" She moved closer to Sakura who swallowed as Ino's eyes darkened and a hand trailed lazily down her front "I mean it's the least I could do since I can't help you relieve tension any other way."

She felt herself arch up into Ino's hand and moaned in disappointment as Ino moved away. Her eyes glittered with smug teasing "I have the morning and afternoon off tomorrow so its perfect timing."

Sakura steel reeling from Ino's unfair provocation didn't think about her answer "I don't want to hurt you."

Ino sat back and all her teasing was gone. She raised an eyebrow in disbelief "you actually think you're a better ninja than me don't you?"

"What? No," yes but if she said it they would never have sex again and she liked sex with Ino.

"You do! I can see it on your face. Remember Sakura I'm a chunin as well," Ino said and while the distance between them stayed the same Sakura felt Ino's mental retreat.

She had to back peddle and fast "I know you are Ino. There's just different types of ninja and I think when it comes to physical stuff like battle" and everything else "that I have the advantage over you," Ino's impenetrable eyes made Sakura waver "a slight advantage," Ino kept staring "a little one," the stare hadn't gone away. Sakura raised her hand and placed her finger and thumb so they were nearly touching "a tiny…not there at all advantage."

Ino snorted and slapped Sakura's hand down and looked away from her. "East side of the woods, 8 o'clock, tomorrow morning. Be there or else." Ino got up to and stormed out.

"Ino! Wait!" Sakura flopped back on the couch. Damn women having to be so sensitive. Damn Ino for leaving before Sakura could seduce her like her plan. Damn women.


	5. Chapter 5

"Put on your forehead protector Sakura," Ino said coldly her own already in place. Sakura sighed and did as Ino told her. She really didn't want to be here. Tsudane was going to kill her for taking more time off. But she needed to keep Ino happy. Ino was here first and they were her first words to Sakura so she knew Ino hadn't really forgiven her for last night.

"Here I come!" Ino yelled and charged her. She stood still and met the challenge. It was clear from a few minutes sparing that Ino wasn't a good fighter. What she did know she knew well but her knowledge only consisted of the most basic hand to hand. Sakura already felt like a bully so didn't use the gapes in Ino's defence to hit her as often as she could. She danced away from a flurry of punches and waited until Ino over extended and threw herself off balance. If she didn't take that shot Ino would know she was humouring her. She gave Ino a firm jab in the ribs to knock some of the breath out of her but didn't hit her again like she would have if it was a real fight. She allowed Ino to recover but a poof of smoke revealed a log instead of Ino. Replacement ninjutsu?!

She turned quickly in time to avoid throwing stars that launched themselves at her head. They cut into the wood of a near by tree and Sakura dived for cover as more stars were thrown from Ino's hiding place. She rolled into a bush and heard a familiar sizzling sound. A paper bomb. She jumped quickly away from the bush but the explosion caught her and she couldn't recover her landing in time and fell awkwardly on her back. Ino was straddling her at once, a hand gripping her throat like a vice. "Like I would spar with you muscles, please," Ino rolled her eyes "give me some credit. As you said Sakura there are different types of ninja and I'm a reconnaissance one. I don't use brute force but my pretty little head to win."

She had underestimated Ino and paid the price. The battle wasn't over though. She could very easily bring her legs up and around Ino's neck and slam her into the ground. Ino wouldn't know how to get out of the hold and Sakura would win. But looking at Ino's sweaty face that was lit with happiness at her victory Sakura couldn't rob her of it. She also gained an appreciation of Ino's strength. Just because she wasn't strong in the same way Sakura was didn't make her weak. These were all enlightened thoughts that would occur to Sakura afterwards but right now all she was aware of was the two firm thighs that where pressing down on either side of her. Ino's legs were smooth and soft. She remembered having to squeeze them slightly to feel the firm muscle underneath. She remember how good they felt to squeeze. If Ino moved up she would be right over Sakura's mouth. She shuddered.

"This isn't won yet Ino!" Sakura growled annoyed at herself being so easily distracted. She smashed her forearm into the joint of Ino's arm. It did its job and bent, releasing Sakura from Ino's strangle. Sakura reached up and grabbed Ino behind the neck and pulled her into a deep consuming kiss. There forehead protected clinked together in surprise as Ino let out a muffled 'umph!"

Sakura reached down and grabbed Ino's thigh and turned them over sharply. She rocked their pelvises against one another and Ino moan helplessly. Sakura wouldn't give her time to think or protest. She had been charged up for what seemed like forever due to Ino wanting to 'slow things down.' She wasn't in the mood to stop. The glacier pace flew out of her mind with meting speed. Ino tangled her fingers into Sakura's hair and pulled her head to the side so she could get at her neck. Sakura moaned as Ino sucked. Her hands fumbled to get under the white t-shirt Ino had on before she smiled at feeling skin.

"Akamaru, aerial mark attack!"

A warm gush of liquored arced across her back and she involuntary sat upwards. Anger raged through her as she realised what had happened. "Kiba!" She growled pushing up off the ground and through the bushes to where she assumed the boy would be. She ignored Ino's calls to her.

"Sakura!" Kiba said with genuine surprise "what are you doing back there?"

"Kiba, your damn dog just pissed on my jacket!" She yelled outraged not caring if it was an accident. She was going to pound his hairy face into the dirt.

"Hey, you know this is where we train," Kiba laughed then shrugged.

Sakura was about to lay into him when Ino materialised to stand at her side. Her t-shirt was rumpled and her shorts were open. Kiba looked from Sakrua's flushed face to Ino's unusually shaggy appearance, to the bushes where they came from. He wasn't a rocket scientist but he could put together what happened. "So you're still fu-"

"Not a word!" She cut across him quickly not wanting Ino to find out what she had confessed to Kiba. His eyes held a sadistic pleasure and Sakura knew he thought his next teasing would be harmless. He didn't look like he would stop so she interjected "or else I'll tell Hinnata about Akamaru's late night walks past her bedroom!"

Kiba recoiled as if hit but closed his mouth. His eyes narrowed showing that he didn't appreciate being threatened but she didn't care. She grabbed Ino's hand and dragged her away. Once they were alone again she tore off her jacket glad the piss hadn't went through to her own red t-shirt. That done she pressed Ino against a tree contented to take things up from where they left off. Ino shook her head and pushed away from her "We got a little carried away back their it was a good thing he interrupt us."

"What?" Sakura whined, her entire body drooped with disappointment "no, we were fine back there."

"No," Ino shook her head with a smile "we should go home and get separate showers and meet up for lunch."

Sakura pouted at the word 'separate' but Ino was walking away and she had to hurry to catch up.

XxXx

Her hair was slightly damp from her shower but she couldn't have taken the time to dry it as she was already late to meet Ino for lunch. She had had to take care of the itch seeing Ino straddling her had created. The got their ramen and sat down on one of the seats.

"One day I'm actually going to learn how to cook," Sakura promised herself.

Ino laughed "yeah right, you remember our female ninja classes? You burnt the classroom down when we were learning how to make French toast."

Sakura blushed and said hotly "I didn't burn it down!"

"That was only because sensei knew a water jutsu," Ino continued to laugh. She reached across the table to take Sakura's hand and soothe her wounded pride. Sakura remained put out for a moment before letting it go. She _was _a terrible cook.

The conversation continued lightly until Naruto threw himself down beside Sakura and slammed his own ramen bowel down. "Hey Sakura!" He said happily before he looked at Ino narrowly "Ino-pig, still stalking Sakura-chan?" He peered into her bowl and let out a gawff of laughter "ha, you're even eating fish!"

Sakura rolled her eyes but did find Naruto's comments slightly funny. Ino knew not to take Naruto seriously so only rolled her eyes and said "that's funny, a gay joke coming from the guy that's spent two weeks along in the woods with two other men."

Naruto choked on his laughter and shut up. Sakura giggled into her hand but tried to make it seem like a cough as Naruto glared petulantly at her. "How is the training going? I haven't seen you around in a while."

Naruto shrugged more interested in his ramen that the question "I started out okay but I've kinda hit a brick wall. I'm still trying to cut leaves an stuff. Is that why your with Ino all of a sudden? Did you get lonely without me?" Naruto smiled hugely at the thought then turned to whisper something to himself while blushing. Ino looked at Sakura expectantly, enjoying the awkwardness Naruto's question brought.

Sakura was annoyed with Ino's grating smile and determined not to embarrass herself. "Actually Naruto I've allowed Ino to follow me around because I feel so sorry for her. Its partially my fault she's so much in love with me. I mean, I am that good."

Ino's smile faded instantly and a droll 'haha' expression filled it. The opposite reaction came from Naruto. He stopped his giggling and nodded seriously "ah poor Ino-pig. You love Sakura too. I should feel sorry for you since you have even less of a chance than I do." Naruto thinking he was being nice switched his seat and threw an arm around Ino. Ino was less than happy. Sakura could see the repressed anger swimming across her face only releasing itself through the twitch in her right eye. Her smile split her face in half. "But don't worry Ino-pig you won't be alone forever, I hear that the sand ninja Tammari or something, also likes fish so you won't be alone," again Naruto thought he was being nice.

Ino slammed her chopsticks down and surged to her feet. She towered over the sitting Naruto and opened her mouth to scream at him. She was cut off however as a siren went off and six men ran passed bearing stretchers with injured ninja's on them. Sakura bounce to her feet but looked at Ino before she could go. Ino sighed deflated and waved her away. "Sorry," she offered before going to run out.

Naruto grabbed her before she left "Sakura! You can't run off until you've paid the bill!"

"Bill?!" Sakura asked in disbelief becoming increasingly annoyed with Naruto.

"Yeah, Kakashi-senei took all my money to buy you a gift," Naruto whined.

Sakura clenched her fists. "Naruto, I don't have the money to pay for you as well!"

Naruto flinched and turned his puppy dog eyes on her. She was going to give him two black eyes! A restraining hand was placed on her arm. She turned to see Ino standing beside her "don't worry about the bill I have enough to cover us and the ditzy one. Calm down, you won't be any help to those guys annoyed like you are."

Sakura nodded and took a deep breath to calm herself. She quickly kissed Ino on the cheek and took off running. It was only as she caught up to the stretchers at the hospital door that she realised that she kissed Ino in front of Naruto. Crap, she pushed the thought to the back of her head and examined the patients with her Chakra. "What happened?!" She demanded from the bearers.

The hospital immediately became a hive of activity. Sakura didn't even have time to change her clothes before she was already in a surgical gown and gloves courtesy of an experienced nurse.

"There was an attack from the fire temple. They were the reinforcements but the enemy knew we were coming," someone answered her but she couldn't take the time to look. Okay the first man, which she took to be the leader, had a dislocated shoulder but severe internal injuries, the second man had a foreign poison in his veins that she hadn't seen before. Shizune would need to deal with him. And the third- "get Tsunade-sama," when it didn't seem like her orders were being carried out fast enough she screamed "GET TSUNADE NOW!"

Tsunade came running a few minutes later. Sakura never called for her unless it was important. She came to Sakura's side and used her own Chakra to scan the patient. "You two lift this guy into the street now!" Sakura had been maintaining a Chakra shield over the man's stomach. Someone had implanted a summon monster into a capsule and fed it to the man. The monster was looking to break free any moment and tear all of Konoha apart. Tsunade took over the shield and rushed out along side with the stretcher bearers.

Seeing that Shizune was already working on the poisoned victim she rushed to the captain. All around her nurses and doctors were making their way into the street to see what would surely be a once in a life time battle. Sakura was dying to follow the hobbling patients to witness the event but her duties came first. The man's intestinal juice had leaked out and was slowly poisoning his blood stream. She worked for the next few hours in capturing the juices in a Chakra bubble and cleansing them before she forced the liquid back into the intestines. Once she had got all of it she infused her Chakra into the man's intestinal wall to help the skin knit faster. When it seemed he was out of immediate danger she took the time to look up. She was the only one in the medical bay.

Shizune's patient lay peacefully on a stretcher and his doctor was no where to be found. She looked towards the doors where flashing lights and muffled noises told her she was missing an epic battle. She sighed and went to put the captain's arm in plaster. When she was sure that she had sat the bones and done all she could she threw off her gloves and ran outside.

Tsunade was haloed with a burst of golden sparks. Her hair blew behind her as she stood on top of a building across the street. The crowd cheered as Tsunade relaxed her fighting stance and jumped down to meet the congratulating throng of ninja's. Sakura's heart sank as she realised she had missed the fight.

"Oh my God that was awesome!" Konohamaru cheered with his little gang of friends as he pushed his way past Sakura and into the crowded "my grandfather could have done it better of course, but that wasn't bad at all for a girl!"

Konohamaru the boy who would rather spit his teeth out than smile at Tsunade was giving her a compliment?! Oh she must have missed the fight of the centaury. Her shoulders slumped in disappointment. She was so depressed. "Umpf!" She cried as she was knocked back a few steps and her lips were attacked. She initially melted into the kiss recognising Ino's curves but realised that they were in a heavily populated area. She clawed at Ino trying to drag her off of her but Ino held on like a vacuum and only tore herself away when she needed the air.

"Oh my God Sakura, your teacher is so amazing!" Ino cried her arms still wrapped around Sakura's neck.

"Even you saw it!?" She cried desperately.

"You didn't?" Ino said agog. She quickly controlled her excitement "well it wasn't that good."

Ino was trying to play down her reaction to the fight but Sakura could still taste the excitement tingling in her lips. She smiled grimly trying to tell Ino she appreciated her effort. Ino took Sakura's hands and placed them around her waist in a loose hug. "I'll tell you all about it on our next date."

Sakura went to push Ino away not really wanting to talk about 'them' at the moment but saw Tsunade coming her way and stopped. She stepped closer and tightened the hug hoping that Tsunade would think she had learned her lesson. She pretended that she hadn't seen her teachers approach and spoke to Ino while watching Tsunade out of the corner of her eye "that's great. I don't know when I'll get time off though."

"You still owe me for lunch," Ino said enjoying the attention and completely unaware of Sakura's ulterior motive.

"I could just skip work and take you back to my place," Sakura grinned half hoping Ino would take her up on her offer.

"Flowers work just as well, horn dog," Ino said rolling her eyes and leaning in to kiss Sakura.

"So this is Ino," Tsunade said and they quickly broke away.

Sakura saw the stars form in Ino's eyes as she looked at her new hero. She laughed as Ino blushed when Tsunade turned to look at her holding her hand out of Ino to shake. It occurred to her that this would be the first time Ino had actually seen the Hokage up close.

"I knew Sakura was dating someone but I couldn't remember what she looked like," Tsunade said unashamedly despite the fact she was Hokage and was supposed to know everyone in the village.

"Like me," Ino said then realised how stupid she sounded "I mean she looks like me because it is me she's dating," Ino looked like she could die from embarrassment as she made herself sound worse.

Tsunade looked at her like she a sandwich short of a picnic before she slowed down her speech and pronounced every word carefully "that's good. I hope you have a nice day. I'm taking Sakura back to work now. Pleased to meet you."

Ino nodded and didn't realise that Tsudane was insulting her intelligence. "I'll see you whenever you get some free time okay?"

Sakura nodded still amused at her sensei's treatment of Ino.

"Remember, flowers!" Ino said as she quickly disappeared.

"Cute girl, a bit slow," Tsunade said as she turned to walk back into the hospital. A crowd of adoring fans followed at a distance. Sakura ran to catch up with her mentor. "I heard you didn't get to see the fight," Tsunade said going over to check the captain "some good work here," she praised off handedly and Sakura grew ten inches taller even if it was half heartedly delivered. Behind her the third man who had the summon seal inside him was being put on a bed. He would just need rest and a blood transfusion. Tsunade turned from the stretcher and placed her hand on Sakura's shoulders "I'm very proud of you. Many people forsook their duties to come watch me battle that thing but you stayed. You, who were probably the only one to really know how rare that dark art was. That took discipline. You've grown so much in the short time we've known each other."

Sakura was deeply moved by Tsunade's words and sincere stare. She felt herself mist up and asked hopefully "does that mean I can dump Ino?"

"Nope," Tsunade chirped happily retracting her hand and going back to her carefree ways "it means you made me proud and that I won't kill you for taking so much time off, but you still haven't learned what you need to from her," she grinned and puffed herself up, an amazing feat considering she usually had a self inflated ego that could shelter the whole village during a hurricane. Her voice burst with pride as she told Sakura "you missed such a fight. I really out did myself. If I wasn't here the whole village would have been destroyed. No one could have beat that thing except me. You know not many people implanted with capsules survive. For me to beat the monster and save the guy?" She nodded to herself hands on hips and declared "damn I'm good." She gave a final nod before walking away calling over her shoulder "Sakura you're in charge of the hospital! Shizune take the afternoon off. I'm going to bed, anyone knocks or bothers me then they'll see two legendary fights!"

With a wave of swinging doors she was gone and Sakura was left in charge of the milling crowd who all wanted to get to Tsunade and worship her. She growled as she felt a head ach coming on. Shizune waved cheerily at her from the door before disappearing through it. She hated her.


	6. Chapter 6

Sakura cursed softly as she tiredly trod down the street to the flower shop. It was three o'clock in the morning and the town was sleeping. Even the bin men hadn't been around yet. She held in her hands some of the ugliest combination of flowers that she had swiped from the bed of sick people. They where all slightly wilted but since Ino's family owned the only flower shop in the village she had no idea where to get them without Ino knowing. She planned to tie them to the door for Ino to see when she opened the shop at seven. Then she was going home to sleep until ten until she had to drag herself out of bed and go back to the hospital.

She reached the window of the flower shop when she heard the sound of a trashcan being violently knocked over. Muffled jeering was coming from the back of the shop and Sakura frowned. She should be the only loon to be up this late. She hurried to the back of the shop to see what the disturbance was. Three men were knocking around a smaller figure she couldn't make out in the dark but instinctively knew who it was.

"Take that ya dyke!"

"The shame of one of your kind in the village!"

"Yeah!"

The anger boiled over her turning her skin a nasty shade of red as her hands clenched into fists. Her feet moved digging deeply into the dirt as she didn't bother to hide her approach. The goofy looking guy with a headband and glasses looked up. He had enough time to see her foot flying at him before it struck with the force of a steel pipe. He let out a strangled cry as his nose broke and his cheek bone cracked. Sakura channelled her Chakra into her arms and the muscles bulged grossly at the infusion of power. She imprinted their faces into her mind before she went about beating the trio into a bloody pulp.

The guy whose nose she broke tried to do a jutsu but Ino kneed him in the stomach doubling him over. Her fist came down on the back of his neck flattening him to the ground. He lay there moaning and didn't try to get up. Both girls turned towards the remaining bullies who looked at each other before one yelled "fuck this! Lets get out of here!"

They took off running and she was going to follow them but felt a shaking hand on her shoulder. Still wired from the fight she turned sharply and barely stopped her fist from smashing Ino's wind pipe. She took a shuddering breath and Ino hugged her still shaking herself. Eventually Ino broke away and pulled her inside. She had never been in the back room of the flower shop before. There was potted plants and flowers all over the place. Benches filled the area in neat rows each one label 'acid' or 'alkaline' soil. Ino guided her to the back and sat her down on the tiny cot. She reached for a medical kit underneath the cot and needlessly dabbed at the few cuts on Sakura's skin.

She still shook with rage but when she thought she had finally calmed down enough to talk she asked "are you okay? How long were they hassling you?" Her voice sounded guttural and Ino flinched.

"I'm fine. I was finding some of the flowers, the nocturnal ones have different feeding times. I heard a noise out back they were at the corner obviously drunk, they started shouting I ignored it and was about to go back inside when they blind sided me." Ino said quietly still a little shaken "you showed up before anything worse happened. Stuff like that happens its no big deal."

"'It happens'?!" Sakura quoted her eyes narrowed with rage. She was taking her anger out on Ino unfairly but she had no other target. "When the hell does it happen?! Who does it I'll kill them!"

"Sakura! Calm down!" Ino placed her cool hands over Sakura's burning face "they only did it because they were drunk. It used to happen a lot when I first came out but it stopped. Shikamaru had a word with them and they seemed cool about it. Its only those three looser drop outs that give me hassle. I can handle them they just surprised me tonight."

She concentrated hard on the one face she saw clearly. "Goat, colt. Colt! That's that bastards name! he's the baker's apprentice isn't he? Now I remember him! Couldn't pass his Chunnin exam to save his life."

Ino sat beside Sakura on the bed hoping to keep her calm she wrapped her arms around the smaller girls shoulders and laid them down.

"Get off me," Sakura growled struggling slightly. She didn't want to hurt Ino but she wanted to get that bastard and his friends.

"Please," Ino said softly, the vulnerable note making Sakura arrest all violent movement "stay with me tonight."

Sakura made an effort to swallow her anger and nodded. They shouldn't pick on Ino. It was like an adult picking on a kid. And three on one!? Damn cowards. She felt her breathing speed up as she thought about it so concentrated on the soothing stroking of Ino's hand on her arm.

They lay there quietly for a while. Sakura felt all the tension gradually ooze out of her body and sleep trail along the edge of her mind languidly. A sad thought occurred to her suddenly and she told Ino disappointedly "they made me ruin your flowers," she remembered vaguely stuffing the ugly assortment in one boys mouth before kicking him in the nuts.

Ino laughed softly and Sakura immediately felt better. "That's okay. I think I have enough flowers anyway." Sakura smiled as Ino buried her face in her neck. She had a ticklish neck. "I think we should tell our parents about us," Ino said softly a little later. Sakura was to tired to jerk with discomfort the idea would cause her if she was fully awake. "If those three losers know we were dating then I want to tell my folks before they hear it from someone else."

"They knew?" Sakura said fuzzily fighting sleep. Ino was soft and warm and smelled really good. She would listen to her with her eyes closed.

"Yeah they saw me kissing you at the fight. They were jealous I got such a hot girlfriend," Ino flattered smiling against Sakura's skin. As usual it went right over Sakura's head.

"Fine, I'll tell my dad in the morning," Sakura said hoping Ino would shut up and let her go to sleep. It worked.

XxXx

"I want them jailed," Sakura growled at Tsunade "they attacked Ino last night."

Tsunade looked down at the quivering heaps on the floor. Each body had blood on it somewhere "they attacked Ino?" She asked doubting they could attack a paper bag at the state they where in now. Sakura nodded and Tsunade shrugged "okay," she agreed easily because it wasn't in Sakura's character to lie. She buzzed and three ANBU officers came in to carry the weakened messes out. "I needed to talk with you anyway. Whats the mood like in the village lately?"

"What?" Sakura said confused.

"Can't you feel the tention in the air?" Tsunade said frowning as she stared out the window "everyone's on edge since that monster attack. But it was building before that. People are become agitated with waiting. It's like there constantly on guard."

"People have seemed a little more snappish than usually," Sakura allowed. She thought she was just making problems were there weren't any. Most of the people she had patched up lately were in fights that could have been easily solved with a conversation.

"I don't like it," Tsunade swept her gaze back into the office looking unusually serious "when peoples nerves are worked on to much they snap and that could be disastrous. My birthday's coming up, maybe I should make it into a national holiday…" Tsunade seemed to wonder, then her eyes glinted "I'll make it mandatory for everyone to buy me a present. We should make it a festival! An entire week celebrating the birth of me."

"Ah, Hokage-sama," Sakura said trying to cut Tsunade's daydream off before she decided to make it a reality. "Don't you think that's a tad egotistical?"

"Are you saying I'm not worth it?!" Tsunade glared at her and shrank back quickly. The dark cloud cleared from the older woman's face as she realised something "Oh! I forgot to tell you, I've decided to send your team to the fire temple. They asked for more back up and I thought team Kakashi could handle it. Get ready, you leave tomorrow afternoon."

Sakura reared back shocked "just like that?" She then sighed and nodded. Why was she surprised at the short notice? It was Tsunade after all. She smiled tightly. "Fine does that mean I get the day off?"

Tsunade sighed annoyed "yeah, I have to cover your shift," She stretched and got up from her chair a popping sound came from her back and she winced "ah, never get old Sakura."

"Try my best," she said deadpanned turning to leave.

"Hey have you and Ino had a fight yet?" Tsunade asked her.

"No," Sakura said confused "I thought I wasn't allowed to let her dump me?"

"You're not," Tsunade smiled at her indulgently "ah, to be that young again. One fight doesn't necessarily lead to a break up. Hell, if it did, no one would be able to stay married for more than five minutes!"

Sakura nodded but wasn't really listening. She was going mentally over everything she had to do before the mission. She waved goodbye to her teacher and went to find her father. She found him sweeping the main street of the village. He stopped his brushing when she approached him. "Hey Sakura-chan! You haven't been round the house much. You should stop by to say hi to your mom."

"I will dad but when's your next break?" Sakura asked. She used to be embarrassed that her dad was a street cleaner. She would watch as people littered without a care as to who had to pick it up and her dad would always sweep away whistling softly to himself. He was extremely patient and never shouted at the neighbourhood kids that would tease him about his lowly job. She didn't come from a family of ninja's like most kids she knew. That was why she didn't have a blood line limit like Ino. For years she never told anyone that her dad was a cleaner to ashamed. When he found that out he had been so hurt that Sakura hated herself for it. She had then made it a point to say how proud she was off him. After awhile she even started to believe it. Her dad very easily could have lived off benefits but had enough pride in himself to take a job that most people would sneer at. He was her source of inner strength. And her looks as well. She had got her mothers pink hair but her face was the double of her dads. Though his forehead was bigger than hers and his hair was a dull spiky brown.

"For you? I'll take one now," he grinned "have you been eating well?" He fussed scrutinising her "you're far to thin. Its not good to train so hard without eating."

"I'm eating fine dad," Sakura waved his concern away as they walked to a nearby wall. She jumped up to sit on it and her dad looked up at her smiling "I always envied the ninja's of the village and their ability to do that." He took the more 'normal' way and climbed up the wall by standing on the bench.

She flushed guiltily. Something that came so easy to her with training seemed like skills to other people. Sometimes it was hard to remember that there were people in the village that weren't ninjas. Her father plunked down beside her and reached into the knapsack at his side. He pulled out two sandwiches and passed her one. It was squashed and soggy like most homemade stuff. She also got her cooking skills from her father.

His big hand caressed her hair as her father looked at her "I'm so proud of you, petal. I know you make your mother proud." Her mother died when she was four. He dad had raised her all alone despite the disapproval of the villages woman who didn't think it right that a man raise a child, especially, a girl child on his own. He had resisted all their attempts to set him up with this single cousin or that single sister. He had never stopped loving her mother.

Sakura laughed "remember when we had to bring our mothers to the female ninja class?" She asked him suddenly.

His big green eyes sparkled as his permanent smile deepened. "And you didn't tell me?"

"Yeah, I didn't want you to feel guilty," she said without sadness. Her father did his best to be both her mother and father but something's he just couldn't do. She remembered how he had told her about her period. He had sat her down and read straight from a book. While Sakura had thought she would die from embarrassment her dad found the whole thing interesting and ended up asked her questions about it. Thank god for Ino's mum who took over that side of her parenting.

"I didn't feel guilty at all, all the other mothers where exceptionally nice to me," Her dad finished the memory.

"That's because they thought it was hilarious that you dressed in drag to go," Sakura said filling in the one important detail.

"Well your teacher didn't notice until near the end!" He laughed back slapping his knee.

Sakura laughed along with him before getting serious "dad I need to tell you something…"

Her dad turned and gave her his full attention.

"I'm dating Ino," She said thinking it best to get it over with quickly.

Her dad blinked the turned away and said nothing. Sakura waited patiently for a reaction. She knew it would be a shock but she didn't think her dad would react negatively.

"Seriously?" He said at last.

She nodded "yeah," it was better for him to believe that than know she was being blackmailed by her annoying teacher.

He nodded "okay."

"That's it?" While she hadn't expected a negative reaction she had expected some reaction.

"Well it does explain why she's been hanging around the house," he said "though I suppose its not entirely unexpected after all your mother gave into my stalking after a while."

"What?!" Sakura said. To many parts of that sentenced needed questioning.

"Yeah Ino has been coming round to the house for weeks now. She cooks and cleans and irons my shirts. You know how hopeless we are at that stuff. She always brings your mother flowers," it was the last part that had probably won her dad over. "She would ask all kinds of questions about you and our family. I used to do it when I was courting your mother. I got a job with her father doing lumber jacking so I could learn all about her. Then I stalked her mother, your grandmother, helping her with chores and fixing things around the house. Your mother only agreed to go out with me to keep me away," Her fathers smile grew secret and fond "then we fell in love and we were never apart."

"You stalked mom? And you're letting Ino clean up after you?" Sakura said getting hit with so much new information that her head was reeling.

"Well Ino started to come around when I broke my arm and couldn't do much. After that it was nice for someone to help an old man like me," Sakura cringed feeling guilty all over again. Her brow furrowed as she realised fully what he said "when did you break your arm?!"

"Oh two three months ago. I had one of the other doctors fix it so as not to disturb you. I know you would just worry and try to look after me," her dad mock shuddered at the thought of her looking after him and she swatted him on the head "daaaaaaaad," she whine "you're supposed to tell me stuff like this!"

"I will the next time, promise!" Her dad smiled as he lied.

Sakura blew her bangs out of her face. She knew he was lying because she said the same things. When she went on missions she didn't go see her dad unless she could cover up the bruises or they healed fully. She didn't want to worry him. She glared at him frustrated but he only smiled back. "Ino's telling her parents about us as well. I thought you should know for some odd reason."

He nodded still smiling then his smiled grew devious and he laughed somewhat cruelly "I wish I could see Hidiki's face when she tells him," Sakura rolled her eyes. Her father had never liked Hidiki because he had tried to take her mom away from him. Which wasn't the truth at all but her father had the idea so firmly rooted in his head that she wouldn't be able to cut it out with a scalpel.

She frowned as she realised how serious it was "Hidiki's kinda strict, you don't think he will disown Ino do you?"

Her father shrugged lightly "if so she can always come stay with me full time. I wouldn't mind being her dad. I get to see her more anyway."

Sakura looked at him intently and he shifted uncomfortably. "well, its true. It took a life altering event for you to come speak to me. And don't blame it on missions I know fine rightly you haven't had any in a while. Tsunade-sama always tells me when you go out. Which again, is more than I can say for you."

"I get it, I get it. I'm a bad daughter," Sakura waved away his complaints.

For her cheek her dad pushed her off the wall. She yelped but managed to land on her feet. Her dad followed her down slowly. "Not a bad daughter just lazy." He smiled picking up his broom again "I have to get back to work. You be by for dinner soon ok?"

"I can't I have a mission," she said but to make up for it and to stop the guilt eating at her she offered "I'll come around when I'm back. I'll even bring Ino if you want."

He shrugged and shooed her away "go before my boss comes! Oh and eat your sandwich! Boys don't like skinny girls!" He stopped as she raised one eyebrow at him. He grinned chagrined "I suppose that threat won't work on you anymore. Just eat the damn sandwich!"

She laughed and made a big show of biting the food. Her dad laughed and she went to find Naruto and Sai.

XxXx

Saurka couldn't find Naruto in the forest and Sai wasn't in the library which was the only place she could think to look for him. She sighed as she looked around the busy market but didn't see any spiky haired blondes or sickly pale brunettes. Naruto would be bound to know already, she did kiss Ino in front of him and she could always just tell Sai in the morning. Her mind made up she turned to go home and pack. That was the plan anyway until she was yanked backwards.

"Sakura-chan!"

She turned to see Rock Lee far to close to her face. He had big, pleading, watery eyes and looked as if she had shot his puppy. "I heard an ugly rumour that you were dating Yamanaka-san. Is it true? Do you love Yamanaka-san?!"

Sakura reeled back at the force of Lee's passionate question. All around them people had stopped what they were doing to listen unashamedly. Sakura smiled nervously at the crowed embarrassment crawling up her spine. "Lee, can we talk somewhere else?" She hiss furiously.

"I need an answer Sakura-chan! Do you love Yamanaka-san?!" Lee's puppy dog eyes routed her to the spot. He hand his hands around one of hers raised to his chest as he half bowed over it trying to make her tell him the truth.

Sakura sighed and said "I love-" she tried to say Ino but her throat closed over. She frowned and coughed trying again "I love-" she couldn't bring herself to lie to Lee's sincere gaze.

She didn't love Ino. "Yes I'm dating Ino."

The crowed gasped and Lee flinched dramatically as if struck but didn't let go of her hand. "But you didn't say you loved her," he said and perked himself up immediately. Sakura reeled from the change of extremes "do you love Yamanaka-san?!"

Sakura looked around at the expectant crowed and tried to pull away but Lee hung on. She didn't think it was right that he should corner her in front of all these people. If she hurt him or refused to answer these people would hate her. She could see them already gearing up to jeer at her for hurting Lee. Everyone loved Lee and his eternal enthusiasm she couldn't hurt him.

"Do you love Yamanka-san?!" He shouted again.

"It's not that simple…" she tried to take her hand back and dodge the question but Lee held on like grim death.

"Do you love Yamanka-san?!"

"Ah-"

"Are you in love with Yamanka-san?!"

"Well…"

"Do you love Yamanka-san?!"

'Yes!' She tried to scream but the sound wouldn't come out. Frustrated and annoyed she closed her eyes and yelled "I LOVE APPLES!"

Crickets chirped loudly as the whole crowd went silent. Lee broke it by crying out joyously "Ha! She doesn't love Yamanaka-san! I still have a chance," he crouched down in his fighting stance his fists clenched tightly at his chest as he declared "Yamanaka-san, you may have the lead in the battle for Sakura-chans heart but you haven't won the race. I, Rock Lee, have just become your rival!" He darted about the crowd asking the still stunned shoppers if they knew where Ino was.

Sakura rolled her eyes and cursed at herself in a rage. Apples?! She loved apples?! Where the hell had that come form! She turned still chastising herself and her heart stopped. Her eyes widened in horrified surprise as she breathed "Ino…"

Ino gave her a tiny tight smile. The hurt on her face made it clear she had witnessed the scene between her and Lee. Lee was suddenly between them pointing an exaggerated finger at Ino. "You! I declare you my number one rival for Sakura-chans heart!" He turned to grin at Sakura and his teeth sparkled brightly "as I'm a good guy I won't hit a girl but I declare you my rival none the less and I will win Sakura-chan from you!"

Sakura felt a head ach coming on as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Lee I don't want to go out with you!" She said heatedly hoping the fool would stop.

"Ah, I would expect nothing less from my Sakura-chan," hearts appeared in Lee's eyes as he crawled around her. She was going to hit him. She didn't care if the crowd hated her "of course she wouldn't betray Yamanaka-san by double dating! I'll just have to get you to break up with her so that I can wow you with my good looks and humble powers of awesomeness!"

"Lee," Sakura growled wanting to get rid of him so she could deal with Ino. Tsunades threat of throwing her out of the village if Ino dumped her, rang deafeningly loud in her ears.

Amazingly it was Ino that came to the rescue. Ino laughed lightly and walked to Sakura's side. She flipped her hair behind her and pulled Sakura close to her. "You can try and take Sakura from me all you like Lee, but I promise I won't give up without a fight," The crowd laughed at Lee's red faced spluttering. "In fact lets decide this battle with a coin toss."

Lee revved up for a fight nodded furiously "I accept your challenge Yamanaka-san!"

"Okay heads I win a date with Sakura and tales you loose!" Ino said and waited for Lee to nod. When he did the crowd laughed harder. Ino flipped the coin "ah tales you loose!"

"Damn!" Lee kicked the dirt furiously "fine I loose this round but don't despair Sakura-chan I will win your love!" Lee ran off before Sakura could kill him and the crowd went back to their lives.

"I can't believe he fell for that. Thanks," Sakura said. Ino quickly let go of her and stepped back as if Sakura had a contagious disease. "No problem, I'll see you later, okay? Bye" and Ino took off running. Well, not running just walking away at a fast rate. Sakura frowned after the blonde. She didn't even get time to tell her about her mission.

She decided she had had enough of people today and walked home. She wasn't that far away when something cold and smelly hit her form the side. She spluttered as she looked down at the red and brown concoction. Was that shit?! She looked up furious to see Shikamaru and Chouji standing side by side. Shikamaru held a bucket and a smug smile.

"Oops, sorry Sakura didn't see you there," Chouji said insincerely. He threw an apple up and down in his palm lightly. Was he going to throw it at her?

"Hey Chouji, do you like apples?" Shikamaru asked staring intently at Sakura who flushed still embarrassed at her answer.

"No, Shika can't say I do," Chouji crushed the apple in his massive fist. Sakura got the warning. She glared but partly felt she deserved the treatment so turned away in silence. She tried to muster as much dignity as she could but didn't think it was manageable when she squelched with every step.

XxXx

Sakura took the longest shower of her life. Every time she thought she was clean the smell of crap would assault her nose. She had long ago ran out of vanilla body lotion and moved onto coconut. If it kept up she would have to bring out the lemons. She kept an eye on the time. She had to meet Ino at eight. It was six thirty.

When she got out of the shower it was seven. She spent the next half hour drying her body and doing her hair. Good thing she had already chosen her outfit. She buttoned the olive green sleeveless blouse and pulled on her dark slacks. She frowned at the choice of her wardrobe. Trousers, trousers, shorts, scrubs. All training clothes. She didn't have a single going out outfit.

Well she couldn't do anything about that now. She glanced at the clock ten to eight. She could still make it if she hurried. She closed her door and locked it. Her hand paused and she retracted the key slowly. She had left her throwing stars in every other outfit she had except this one. She used her key instead and hurled it upwards hard enough that it broke through the roof tiles. A curse was heard and she back flipped over the railings and plummeted to the ground. As soon as her feet hit solid earth she rolled and came up in her stance at the side. She knew the dark figure had followed her down.

Shikamaru came out of the shadows. He tossed her key into the space between them "didn't think you would be able to sense my suppressed Chakra." He said quietly.

"You underestimated me," she said back. She didn't relax.

"Did I?" He glanced around where she landed and her guard flew up. She tried to see if he had planned anything. He might have well guessed her reaction and set up a trap.

"What do you want," She cast her eyes over him "I don't see any buckets."

Shikamaru's lips quirked into a tiny smile at his juvenile trick earlier in the day. "Leave Ino alone."

"No," she said back just as firmly and confidently as he had told her. She also relaxed her guard. She wasn't going to have him think she was afraid. She would handle any action he took.

"You said it for everyone to hear, you don't love her, leave her alone," Shikamaru said again.

"Well I may not love her but what we do together doesn't really need that," she smirked knowing fine well the assumption he would make with her words. She wanted to annoy him and judging from the narrowing of his features she had succeeded.

"She loves you," he said like that was supposed to mean something to her.

"I know," she shrugged "I told her I didn't feel the same."

"I didn't think you were the type to play with people," he said.

"I'm not. I've been honest with her," the words weren't entirely true but she wasn't going to loose to Shikamaru.

"You know she's hanging in there hoping you will love her eventually," Shikamaru said folding his arms and looking like he was going to be there for awhile. "It's cruel what you're doing."

The relaxed stance and the timing all clicked into place. Sakura smiled, she was a pretty smart ninja too. "I may not love Ino but I have her and that's enough for now," she turned and walked away. As she expected Shikamaru's shadow jutsu stopped her.

"I'm not finished talking yet," he said angrily. That confirmed Sakura's suspicions.

"And you underestimate me again!" She said whirling back to face the shadow master. "That trick seemed childish and out of character for you. But you knew it takes ages to wash off. Ino probably told you about our date. You knew I would be hurrying to get to her before I was late. You're here pretending to appeal to my better nature but I know what you're really doing."

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed and Sakura knew deep within her heart that she was right in her judgement. "You don't do things solo, Shikamaru. For all your 'bothersome' and 'annoyances' you're a team player. I'm guessing Chouji is at the restaurant disguised as me. How original, I'm probably breaking Ino's heart right now. I bet you even have a cover plan for why I'll act so confused at the break up. You really are the smartest ninja we have but you forgot you're not the only one!" She glared at Shikamaru fiercely "you underestimated me again! You think so little of me and my intelligence that you don't even have a plan B for when this fails!"

"You still have to get out of my shadow jutsu, by the time it takes you our mission will already have succeeded," Shikamaru confirmed.

"That's where you're wrong," she took a deep breath and screamed. It was a loud high pitched wail that made cats join in and dogs bark.

Sakura had an elderly neighbour. She live right across the street and every time someone so much as sneezed loudly she would throw open her window and yell at them. At the noise Miss Caterwauled scurried to her window throwing open the curtains. The light from the living room came pouring down on Sakura who stood directly below the noise old woman's window. The shadow jutsu was chased away by the light freeing her. Shikamaru was surprised at the plan and took a minute to long to regroup. Sakura had crossed the distance and punched him lightening fast. Before he had hit the ground she had channelled her Chakra into her hands and tapped him on various places of his body.

He lay on the ground quivering. He tried to get up but ended up turning his head. "I've confused your nervous system. By the time you figure out the patter I'll be long gone," she couldn't help but gloat a bit. Shikamaru was a tough opponent and she doubted she would ever be in this position again. She had won only because he had taken her to lightly he wouldn't make that mistake again.

"HEY! What's all the noise about?!" Miss Caterwauled screamed from her window.

"Sorry Miss Caterwauled!" Sakura waved "this guys drunk, should I take him to the hospital?" She said knowing fine rightly that Miss Caterwauled hated drunkards.

"You leave him to me girlie, I'll sober him up!" Her wrinkled old eyes narrowed evilly and she disappeared from her window.

Sakura grinned nastily down at Shikamaru. If she was a nicer person she would feel sorry for him. Oh well, she shrugged and took off running. She had to get to Chouji before he really screwed things up with Ino.

She rushed to the restaurant to see herself laughing cattily and Ino nearly in tears. Her doppelganger stood up and was about to throw her drink at Ino. Sakura rushed in and let her Chakra bulge through her arm and she punched herself hard in the side of the face. She went sprawling knocking over tables and disrupting the other customers.

"Hey!" The owner yelled.

"Sakura?!" Ino looked back and forth between them.

"Ino's that's an impostor!" She called striding over to Chouji and lifting him up with one hand. She let her Chakra rush like a rapid river through her body giving her the strength she needed to beat the boy-cum-girl black and blue. She hit Chouji again knocking him out into the open air. She marched up to her own reflection that was trying to raise itself up. She kicked it viciously in the ribs and her hands formed the release jutsu.

She stopped. The crowd swarmed behind her like an angry cloud of wasps. Among them was a hurting and confused Ino. She should release the jutsu and reveal Shikamaru's evil plan to everyone. Ino might even be devastated enough that Sakura could take advantage of her. Insanely Naruto's big stupid grinning face appeared before her. She kicked Chouji and hoped to take Naruto's face out of her mind. Her hands reformed the release with renewed determination. Saksuke's face joined Naruto's stopping her. She took a deep breath and the tearing pain of Sasuke's own betrayal bit into her just as sharp and fresh as the first time it happened. Naruto had been there with his never faltering friendship. She had one team mate to turn to, if she reveal Chouji Ino would have no one.

They did it to help Ino.

They were doing what they thought best.

She couldn't hurt Ino like that. She couldn't break up team ten because of her own selfishness. Chouji looked up at her and they made eye contact. Her rage seared its way inside him and she saw him notice the release sign her hands were making. She growled and grabbed him by the collar. She turned and turned like she was going to throw a discus. She released him so he would fly nearly halfway across town and out of Ino's sight. If they kept their mouth's shut Ino would never know about tonight.

"Sakura!" Ino snapped making her turn "why did you do that?! Now we won't know who it was!"

"Sorry," she said still angry "I wasn't thinking."

Ino snorted and her whole body shouted 'no, you weren't thinking.' the crowd still spoke and moved agitatedly. Sakura took Ino's hand and pulled her away before the owner came and made them pay for the damage caused in the fight.

"Where are we going?" Ino asked a little while later.

She had just dragged Ino forwards not thinking of a plan. Now they had reached the edge of the village and the start of the forest. She sat them down on the steps and didn't talk. "I wonder who that was," Ino said after a while. Her blue eyes were dark and she stared intently into the moving forest. Sakura shivered. They were too far away from the shelter of the buildings to be wearing a sleeveless top. Ino noticed the shiver at once and slid along to pull the shorter girl into her embrace. Shikamaru's plan still annoyed her and she remained stiff. Ino let the silence continue for a little longer before saying "I told my parents. They want to meet you."

"They've already met me," she said frowning.

"Officially you goof," Ino squeeze her.

She smiled in spite of herself. "Your father actually wants to meet me?"

"Yeah he was okay about the whole thing. He didn't say much but mom was thrilled that I finally got you," Ino smiled and did her best to lighten the mood though she was still feeling the after effects of the other Sakura's harsh words.

"I have a mission. I leave tomorrow afternoon. Tsunade didn't say how long we would be gone for," she said because she had to tell Ino sometime and now seemed as good as any.

"Oh," Ino said with disappointment "well, my parents will still be here when you get back you can meet them then."

"Hey why don't I bring my dad and we can all go for dinner," she smirked at the idea. The dad's would be too busy sniping at each other with Ino's mom in the middle trying to keep peace that she wouldn't have to answer much questions.

"That's a great idea!" Ino said feeling that Sakura was finally showing interest in them.

XxXx

A/N: I've obviously taken liberties with Sakura's parents but I'm not sure if the anime explained about them. I'm sure you'll inform me if I missed it! :)


	7. Chapter 7

"Get up!" her blankets were yanked off her harshly and she practically fell out of bed. She was half expecting to be attacked and tried to stumble up into a fighting stance. The result was she actually ended up facing away from her attacker and breaking a lamp due to her disorientation.

"Ha!" The sharp bark of laughter belong to only one person who was stupid enough to break into her apartment and wake her up.

"Tsunade-sama," the words were lazily dragged from her mouth as she still tried to comprehend the situation.

"A ninja must always be watchful Sakura! I could have done anything to you!" Tsunade said then glanced up and down her dishevelled appearance "huh, you're actually a natural pinkette. I own Shizune money."

Sakura frown having no idea what her teacher was talking about. With dawning horror she remembered the night before. Ino had teased her with heavy kisses up against the wall of her apartment. She had allowed her to get passed her bra before breaking things off for the night and leaving. She had been so worked up she had made a beeline for bed and masturbated her heart out. Now she happened to be standing in front of her master with her pyjama top on and nothing else. She squealed in mortification and yanked at the blankets on her bed to cover herself. Tsunade had a shit eating grin on her face. She was so flustered she couldn't speak.

"I'll wait until you get your pants back on," and to her ultimate horror Tsunade picked up her panties she had hastily cast off the night before and held them out to her.

She snatched at her underwear but the blonde teasingly pulled it away. The Hokage finally relented and tossed them to her student out of fear that the girl would suffer a heart attack due to stress. Sakura threw them in the hamper and pulled a clean pair from her draw. She thanked every God in the sky that laundry day had been completed on time this week.

"Good that you change your underwear, keeps things down there healthy," Tsudane nodded seriously then a wicked grin formed "though with that blonde giving you a regular tongue bath I'm sure you're very fresh."

That was it Sakura should just jump out the window now. She quickly grabbed a pair of trousers and ran to the safety of the bathroom because Tsunade made no sign of leaving her bedroom. She heard the old witches cackle through the door as she dressed. She splashed water on her face to try and cool her flaming cheeks then when she felt like she wouldn't immediately do a jutsu to cause the earth to swallow her whole she opened the bathroom door.

Tsunade was relaxing against her chest of drawers and flipping through a book. Sakura was immensely glad she didn't keep a dairy. "M-Master," her voice only trembled slightly she was proud to note "what are you doing here?"

"I pushed back the mission due to road blocks. An avalanche in the middle of the night caused the route you would be taking to be blocked. I've got some men working on it and they've assured me that they can clear it by late afternoon. Captain Yamato has agreed to set off then." Tsunade said.

"You came here yourself to tell me that?" She said surprised and sceptical. The messaged could have been easily relied by and underling at a decent hour not, she checked the clock, 5 oclock?! She could have slept the morning away.

"Well I did hope that your girlfriend was here so a could scare the crap out of both you," Tsunade grinned unrepentant. "Double the fun and all that."

"She would have just asked you to join in," she said with her own mischievous grin. For the first time Tsudane looked shocked then it quickly morphed into disgust. Sakura grinned satisfied.

"Anyway," Tsunade brushed the image away "that means you can do your shift at the hospital while I go gambling!"

Sakura stared at the blonde agog. "I can't have the morning off?! But I'm going on a potentially dangerous mission! I deserve a lie in!"

"You do," Tsunade nodded sympathetically then brightened up considerably "but you're not getting one because that would get in the way of me having fun. Later!" Tsunade then grinned and jumped out the window where she had presumably entered.

Sakura spluttered but gave up and dragged herself to the hospital. She was then put on the A&E ward.

It had been a slow morning when she spotted Mr Yamanaka waiting patiently with a bloody towel wrapped around his hand. She dropped what she was doing and immediately went to his side. "Yamanaka-sama, come this way," She guided him to a curtained area and waved him to sit over the bed. "Lets take a look at that," she unwrapped the cloth to find a nasty cut on the older man's palm. She frowned, there was something strange about the cut "how did you get this sir?"

"Did it myself," he said bluntly.

Sakura blinked in surprise at the statement "why did you do that?"

"I thought you would be here but I wasn't sure if you would run away or not when you saw me," he stated again "I'll be brief. Break up with my daughter."

Sakura drew back slowly leaving the injured hand to hang in the air. She reached for the supplies she would need off the trolley. "Your cut doesn't seem to be that deep but I'm going to have to give you stitches."

"Did you hear me?" He was impatient for an answer.

She always remembered him as being a no nonsense father. He always got straight to the point no matter how rude he sounded. She nodded "yes I heard you. Wiggle your fingers for me," he looked at her annoyed but did what he was told. "Good there appears to be no nerve damage," she cleaned away the dried blood with disinfectant. Then she used a mild antiseptic cream to dull the area.

"I want you to break up with my daughter," He said again.

"Why?" Was her only question as she threaded the needle.

"I don't want her to be with someone who loves apples," he glared and she flinched. She was never going to live that down.

"Good point," She acknowledged "no."

"No?" He said the word like it was foreign to him.

"No," she confirmed using her strength to hold his hand as she gave him stitches.

"Why?" it was his turn to ask.

"Because I can't live here without her," she said. It was the truth. Tsunade would throw her out if Ino broke up with her.

He seemed to mull over her answer. She cut the thread and placed a wrap around his hand. When she was finished she waited for him to reply. She didn't feel like leaving this conversation hanging. "Do you love her?" He asked at last.

Compelled to be honest she answered simply "no."

He nodded "will you make her happy?"

She thought about it then said "as much as I can do, yes."

"And if you make her unhappy?"

"I won't," she answered straight away. She couldn't afford to.

He nodded seeming satisfied with her answers "then I'll pretend I'm happy for her. Until."

"Until?" She asked curious.

"Until you kill yourself trying to live someone else's life," he said grimly before pushing past her and leaving.

He knocked her hard on the shoulder on his way past but she didn't retaliate. "Next time you want to talk to me Yamanaka-sama pay for my coffee."

He stopped briefly before continuing onwards like he hadn't heard anything.

XxXx

She straightened her belt and adjusted her shorts. Captain Yamato was the first to arrive then herself. They were waiting on Sai and Naruto to show up.

"Heard you have a girlfriend now," Captain Yamato said tonelessly.

"Yep," she replied just as tonelessly.

"Cool," he ended the conversation.

She glanced sideways at him and he was wearing a smile. She laughed first then he followed her. "I didn't think you would be the type of person to say 'cool.'"

He shrugged and said deadpan "I'm a deep mysterious well of coolness. Tremble at my greatness."

She rolled her eyes and turned away still smiling. But he reminded her that she hadn't heard from Kakashi-sensei in a long time. She missed him. Her musings were broken as two dust clouds headed their way at a furious pace. Sakura frowned but couldn't make out the two figures.

"I told you bushy brow if Sakura goes out with any guy it would be me!"

"Naruto-kun your delusions are pitiable! Sakura-chan will fall for me! I just have to get rid of my ultimate rival Yamanaka-san!"

The two clouds stopped inches from her. Naruto had his forehead pressed grimly against Lee's. They looked like two interlocked bulls. Idiotic bulls.

"I should be your ultimate rival eyebrow! I'm a guy!" Naruto pushed down on Lee.

Lee came surging back up and declared "but you haven't dated Sakura-chan so therefore you're inferior to Yamanaka-san who is my ULTIMATE RIVAL!"

The vein in Sakura's temple throbbed painfully. She was going to kill them both.

"Hey you."

Ino's soft voice cut quickly through her anger and she turned to see the blonde sliding up to her. Ino placed her arms around her neck and kissed her softly. Sakura sighed and melted into the kiss. Ino was a great kisser. The sudden silence made her break away and turn. Naruto and Lee had turned their heads to stare at her. Their cheeks pressed tightly together as identical blushes spread across their faces. Both looked like they had seen a miracle. A trickle of blood leaked down Lees nose first and ignited Sakura's anger with fresh vengeance.

"You damn pervs!" She roared punching them both to the ground.

"Ow!"

"Ow! Sakura-chan is so mean!"

In a fit of self restraint she stopped herself doing anything further. Ino pulled her away and pushed a paper bag into her hands "I made you guys lunch for the road," she lent in closer and whispered "or if you decide not to share I made you breakfast for the next week." She pulled away with a grin.

"Not such a bad idea," she said glancing sideward's at Naruto who had recovered much to fast for her satisfaction.

"Hey gorgeous," Sai said as he ambled up to the pair.

Sakura glared at him and Sai grew nervous. His hand reached into his bag for his book but Sakura stopped him and linked arms with the pale boy. "I'm going to give you a by ball Sai because you didn't know, but you don't call other peoples girlfriends gorgeous."

"Ino is your girlfriend? Does that make you a queer?" He asked curiously.

Sakura thought about it for a moment before shrugging "sure I guess."

Sai nodded again seeming thoughtful. "Now that we are all here, its time to go," Captain Yamato said waving them all out the gate.

Sakura gave Ino one last kiss before she went to join her team.

"I'll miss you!" Ino called.

"I shall miss you more Sakura-chan!" Lee yelled waving enthusiastically "I will not move or sleep until your return! I will guard this spot so that I will be the first face of welcome you see upon your return. If not I will run the 50 laps around Konoha carrying my hated rival Yamanaka-san!"

XxXx

"Sai what are you doing?!" I yelled throwing my hands up to protect myself from the horrible sight.

"I'm supporting Sakura," he said smiling as he held up a book 'support your queer peer!' was blazed across the cover in rainbow writing with a picture of two men embracing with a woman cheering them on.

"Oh god," I wanted to die. Better yet I wanted to kill Sai.

He stood there grinning with the rainbow flag draped around his shoulders. Every fire monk was giving him dark glowers thinking he was mocking their single sex institution. He was going to get us killed. He opened the book to a marked number. I swear his book mark the shape of a penis! "So Sakura sleeps with women it doesn't mean she's sinnin' She's a dyke! A dyke!" He chanted with such enthusiasm that I almost felt guilty for wanting to ring his neck

I actually gagged on my embarrassment. The worse thing was that I knew Sai was trying to be nice.

"She's a lesbian, she's a lesbian kissing in the rain!" I cringed as Sai broke out into song. He then lifted a banner and waved it about while dancing. It's a lovely drawing of us kissing by the gates of Konoha. I took it off him before I beat him with his book. I'll show you it when we get back.

So that's how Sai learned the meaning of discretion. Aside from that nothing much has happened so far. We shouldn't be much longer. See you soon.

xox S.

The door to the flower shop jingled open and Ino folded away Sakura's letter. She placed it underneath the desk and smiled at the customer. Her smile dropped once she saw who it was.

"Karunai-sensei," she said stifle hoping her fake smile would materialise soon "usually it's the man that prefers to buy the flowers but I'm sure Asuma-sensei will love what you pick for him."

"I'm not here for flowers, Ino," Karunai said sternly. She took off her blue head band and replaced it with a red one.

Ino closed her eyes tightly "I was chosen?"

Karunai nodded. She locked the shop door and turned the sign over so it said 'closed.'

A/N:sorry about the spelling of Karunai's name. I told myself to remember to check it before I posted and plain forgot. Sorry again. Damn, really annoyed at myself for that.


	8. Chapter 8

Sakura laughed as she entered Konoha again. It had been two months since she last seen the place and she couldn't wait to get back. "Is that Kakashi-sensei?!" She called excitedly.

The slacking figure did seem to be their teacher. "Yo," he said non pulsed. He patted her on the head like a child and she rolled her eyes before swiping his hand away. "I can't wait to hear the details of your mission…" he trailed off before bending down and sniffing her.

She pulled a face and stepped away. "What?"

"You smell," he stated his eyes crinkling with humour. He turned to Naruto and Sai and sniffed them "you smell too. I guess I can wait until you've all freshened up. I'll buy dinner, meet me at the old mans house at six." With that he spun idly around and walked off again. He was looking at the sky and Sakura wouldn't be surprised if he was counting clouds.

"Kakashi-sensei sure is weird," Naruto said rubbing his neck beside her. She took a sniff of him and wrinkled her nose. If she smelt only half as bad as him she definitely needed a shower.

"I'm heading home, I'll see you guys later!" She called waving at them.

She hurried to take her shower and get dressed as fast as she could. She was slightly disappointed Ino wasn't there to greet her but the blonde didn't know when she would be home so she couldn't blame her. She gripped the present she got her and sat off to find her. It was late in the afternoon she should be at the flower shop. Hopefully.

She frowned as the shop seemed to be closed. She went around the back and jiggled the handle. It wasn't locked. She opened the door and the rare exotic fire plant she had bought smashed to the floor.

"Sakura!" Ino called horrified. She got up off her knees as Karunai pulled down her skirt.

Sakura ran like her team mates life depended on it. She wasn't even in the right frame of mind to channel her Chakra into her legs to go faster. She just kept running. A heavy weight tackled her from behind when she had reached the edge of the school training ground.

She rolled over and viciously kicked the lump on her. Ino went hurtling backwards. Sakura pushed herself to her feet and glared angrily at the blonde that had dared to follow her. How dare she?! "What the hell do you want?!"

"I want to explain!" Ino said wincing as her ribs protested at getting up.

"How do you think you could explain fucking Karunai?!" Sakura raged pissed off. How dare Ino make a fool out of her!

"Sakura it doesn't mean anything!" Ino pleaded.

Sakura shut her mouth because she was confused at what she was feeling. The all consuming rage that licked its way through her body and screamed at her to beat the crap out of Ino was easy to understand. But she shouldn't be affected this strongly. She shouldn't feel this hole inside her. "You slut," her voice was cold as her molten fury pounded into the words. She tried to cut through Ino with her eyes and projected every hate filled thought she had at her.

Ino flinched as if Sakura had physically struck her and tears gathered in her eyes. The tears made Sakura angrier. Ino didn't have the right to cry. "Did you have a good laugh," her voice seared the air and she approached Ino. Ino backed away instinctively "when we were dating did you crawl back to her, laughing as you imagined me alone?"

Ino stopped herself from moving back, her eyes were infinitely sad "how could you think that?"

"Was it a game? All that following me around and confessing 'I love you'" Sakura mocked stepping right up to Ino hating the height difference more than ever.

"Sakura I do lo-" Sakura slammed her hand over Ino's mouth and pulled her face down to her level. "If you finish that sentence I will kill you," she growled through clenched teeth. Her eyes were wild as her humiliation pounded through her. She threw Ino away from her.

"There are all different kind of ninja's Sakura. There's the one's like Naruto who uses their abilities and then the ones like Shikamaru who uses his mind then there are ninja's like me who are made to use their bodies," She through a red forehead protector at Sakura's feet. A pillow was in the middle instead of the leaf emblem. It meant nothing to Sakura "that female ninja class we took as children also helped to pick which ninja's would be chosen for a special branch. The concubine ninja's Karunai heads us. She makes sure we're all up to scratch before we go out on our missions. That's what you saw."

Sakura kicked the headband away "I don't care whose slut you are, you're still a slut." She turned and walked away. Ino appeared in front of her and tears streamed down her face. "Sakura! I love you!" Ino hit the stone of the school wall hard. She crumpled to the ground but Sakura had already lifted her up. Her chest was heaving and she mirrored her teacher scarily. Sakura's grip tightened on the fabric of Ino's gown until she could feel her hand meet through the fabric. Her hand lifted to strike Ino again but it wouldn't move. Her lips twitched feral like but wouldn't rip Ino's throat out like she told them to. She dropped Ino because she didn't have anymore strength. Her knees gave out and to her eternal horror her eyes became unbearably hot and tears formed. She clenched her eyes shut tightly to keep them at bay.

She was pathetic she couldn't keep her promise to Naruto. She couldn't rescue Sasuke and she couldn't stop herself from falling in love with Ino.

Slender arms wrapped themselves around her from the back. Sakura bucked and fought like a bronco but Ino held on. Eventually the warmth from Ino seemed into her body. It melted through the blazing anger and underneath to something Sakura didn't want to acknowledge. The hurt and betrayal that she had felt at seeing Ino with someone else had been quickly shoved aside for anger and humiliation. But Ino's warmth leaked past the fragile control and in a flood of tears the cage broke. Sakura felt the energy draining sobs wreck her frame and she collapsed against Ino trusting her to hold her up. Without her anger to shield her she lay open and vulnerable. Ino cradled her emotionally naked form in silence.

When Sakura had finally cried everything out the sky had darkened. She tried to hide her face in shame. Ino wouldn't let her. "I don't want you to do the mission," she cringe at the raw sound of her voice and how childish her request was.

"I have to, please don't ask me not to. I would do anything to keep my village safe," Ino said her own eyes glassy.

Sakura understood duty but she didn't want Ino to be with anyone else. "Who chose you?" She asked instead.

"The Hokage," Ino said "I was chosen at random with some other girls and we were trained in secret. You were the only person I ever wanted to be with."

Sakura didn't hear the rest of the sentence. Her mind stopped at 'Hokage.' Was that what Tsunade had wanted her to learn?! Had she wanted Sakura to know that she had an opening as a pimp!? Her body stiffened until the anger lashed through her and gave her energy that her crying had robbed her off.

She surged to her feet and let her anger guided her. Ino called after her confused and scared but Sakura didn't explain herself. She ran and ran until she came to the doors of the hospital. They flew open at her touch and Tsunade turned at the noise. Her teacher smiled upon seeing her student and Sakura flew across the room and punched the blonde in her square jaw. Tsunade stumbled back and grabbed her jaw in shock. The shock faded as fury took over Tsunade's features and she punched Sakura through a wall. She stumbled over the broken bricks uncaring of the plaster that crumbled and filled her hair with dust. Sakura launched herself at her former idol and they tumbled in a viscous wheel of arms and legs.

"Sakura!" Ino called frantically.

Sakura was aware she was shouting things in hysteria at Tsunade as she repeatedly punched the woman. Her upper hand didn't last long as Tsunade shot a hand up between them and chopped her wind pipe. Sakura stumbled away gagging. Tsunade stood and booted her in the face. Blood spurted and people screamed. Sakura made a seal with her hands and Tsunade turned but couldn't stop the shadow clone smacking her across the face with an IV pole.

Sakura stood up and went to punch Tsunade again when Ino's voice cut across the madness "Sakura! Tsunade didn't choose me! It was the other Hokage! The third!"

Sakura's anger fled and bone chilling fear paralysed her as she looked down into the pissed off face of the scariest woman alive. She was screwed.

XxXx

"How was your day honey?" Ino's voice was filled with laughter, every syllable dripped humour and Sakura glared at her and refused to answer. "Come on, you have to admit you look…" Ino cast around for a word but left the sentence hanging as her smile sealed her lips.

"I look ridiculous," Sakura growled.

"But you're bringing so much love to the kids," Ino said returning to Sakura's small kitchen area. She stirred the sauce and did her best to get her giggles out away from Sakura.

"I hate the kids. Little bastards," Sakura mumbled glaring at the floor as she remembered the sticky hands in her mane and chubby chocolate covered faces smiling evilly at her as they 'accidentally' petted her fur too hard.

"I think you make a cute Onbaa," Ino said as Sakura took off the hidden leaf's unofficial mascot's head.

"I don't care. This can't go on any longer! This morning she had me cut the grass in the green house with a pair of scissors and a ruler! Yesterday she had me wash all the Hokage's faces upside-down in a diaper!" Sakura tossed the Onbaa head violently on the sofa and wiggled out of the hot stuffy costume.

"Well, you did hit the Hokage in front of half the village, she would of course need to make you suffer," Ino pointed out needlessly.

"Yes, but you would think beating the ever living daylights out of me would be enough," Sakura's hand unconsciously wrapped around her ribs in remembered pain. She limped to the kitchen chair and sat. Her ankle still hadn't fully recovered and she was forbidden from using Chakra to heal herself or have someone else do it.

"Obviously not. Your teacher is a little vindictive," Ino said placing a bowl of pasta down in front of Sakura before pouring the tomato sauce on. She fixed a plate for herself and joined the table "it's a pity I don't have to feed you anymore."

Sakura glared sullenly at her food irate at Ino and her happy mood. She just wanted to get the day over with.

"Ah," Ino hesitated then reached forward and pulled a plastic wrapper out of Sakura's jumper. The label read itchy powder. She held it up questioningly. Sakura glowered at the memory but didn't explain. Tsunade sure was one for vengeance.

XxXx

Sakura wiped her brow and leaned heavily on the mop. She had finally been allowed back into the hospital but only to clean and observe. The bright side was that Tsunade at least talked to her and acknowledged her now. Well, if by talking she meant barking orders and by acknowledged she meant spill her coffee in front of her while she was mopping. Sakura was just thankful that she didn't spill the coffee on her anymore.

"You have a date with Ino tonight right?" Sakura jumped as Shizune crept up behind her.

"Ah, well, she was talking about it but I told her that I might have to work late," Sakura said snapping back to work trying to act like she hadn't been resting.

Shizune rolled her eyes and stopped the mop by grabbing the shaft. Sakura looked up at Shizune's bent form questioningly. "Go home, take out Ino or spend the night on the sofa. Either way give yourself a chance to heal. Tsunade usually doesn't go so lightly on people that disrespect her." Shizune paused and looked for a moment like she was chewing glass "she must like you."

Sakura blinked and slowly let go of the mop. She recognised Shizune's gesture for what it was; she was trying to be nice. She smiled tentatively.

"You may not love Ino, but you must at least care about her more than I gave you credit for, if you were willing to go up against Tsunade to defend her honour," Shizune said then sat the mop down quickly and walked away. She would pretend like she never said the words.

Sakura checked the time, it was ten o clock. She could go out and party like every other normal teenager or she could go home and get a nice warm bath like the old woman she was pretending she wasn't. The bath won.

XxXx

Sakura laughed as Ino blushed furiously. Behind Ino trailed Lee who was dressed in drag and challenging her to a 'cat fight in order to win not only the battle of Sakura's heart but who looked prettier in purple.' His words. She was glad that she wasn't the one that was being humiliated for once.

"Lee, I am not going to 'slap the paint of your face!'" Ino cried exasperated "Sakura is my girlfriend and you dressing as an ugly girl won't change that!"

"Ugly?!" Lee cried insulted.

"Gaah!" Ino screamed throwing up her hands and the flowers she had been holding. "I can't believe you would try and ruin our date! I haven't been along with Sakura for so damn long and you're interrupting!"

"You're in the middle of a field, I hardly call that a date!" Lee said contemptuously then turned to Sakura "if I was your girlfriend I would actually spend money on you," his eyes grew misty and small hearts danced about him. Ino grew increasingly redder and redder, her fists drained of all colour as she restrained herself from hitting Lee "I would buy you flowers inside of picking the ugly ones. I would serenade you telling you how dazzling your eyes are in the morning and I would love every aspect of you even if you weren't here. I would be the perfect woman for you Sakura!"

Sakura actually felt mean for wanting to point out the obvious flaw in Lee's idyllic plan. Ino felt no such thing it turned out.

"You're a guy! You can't be her girlfriend!" Ino screamed then shocked both Sakura but mostly Lee as she grabbed his crotch in a vice like grip "this! These! These are male things! I don't have them! Woman don't have them and Sakura doesn't want them!" She pushed Lee violently away.

The colour had drained from Lee's face and he fell to his knees grabbing the wounded area. Sakura went to check on him feeling that Ino had went out of line. The teasing, good humoured mood of before had been ruined as Ino's face became a thunder cloud. "What did you do that for?!" Sakura demanded annoyed at Ino. When she opened her mouth to defend herself Sakura cut across her "actually, I don't care! Come on, Lee." She helped him up and took him back to the village.

Later after she had left Lee at his house Ino caught up to her looking ashamed of herself. Sakura lent on the door frame of her apartment not allowing the blonde to enter.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly "I had such a romantic evening planned and then he came and ruined it."

"Your own behaviour ruined it," Sakura said folding her arms, her face grim.

Ino nodded "you're right. It's just things have been tense between us lately ever since…" Ino trailed off but Sakura knew what she wouldn't say. Since Karunai. Every time they had tried being close to each other whether simple intimacy like hugging or the heavier petting Sakura would tense up. In her head she saw Ino on her knees before Karunai and the rage would surge through her demanding that she find the other woman and slam her through a brick wall or a mountain. To make matters worse the day for Ino's mission loomed over them like an evil presence.

When Ino told her the date she hadn't done something stupid and pathetic like mark it in red pen on her calendar. But every time she passed the wall with the cute kitten calendar her eyes automatically were drawn to the twenty fifth. The date of the mission. Or the grudgingly accepted cheating, as Sakura came to think of it.

She had asked Ino only once not to do it. Her request was refused and she never brought it up again. She understood duty and responsibilities. She just didn't care. But Ino was right. She couldn't ask her to give up her mission and any other future red ribbon mission if she wasn't prepared to do the same.

"Maybe we should step back, spend some time apart. It might make this easier on me," she was being selfish but didn't care. All she knew was that the thought of Ino touching some other woman made her want to kill everything around her and that wasn't healthy.

"You want to break up?" Ino gasped as though someone had cut her life thread.

"No," she couldn't afford to annoy Tsunade any further and she just plain didn't want to "just take a break from each other. When the mission's complete then we can start up again."

Ino nodded sadly looking as if someone had ripped her heart out and stood on it. She tried to grin but Sakura could see the pain in her expression "absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?"

"Hm," Sakura said noncommittally. She stepped back and closed the door softly.

XxXx

Next update will be a little late as I'm going holiday.


	9. Chapter 9

She rubbed furiously at a stain on the tile floor her arm moving so fast that it was a blur. She dunked the scrub brush into the grey murky bubbles and sloshed dark water onto the pristine black and white floor of the hospital's mens bathroom. Every window in the room was open and fresh air and sunlight screamed into the toilets giving a cheery clean look it hadn't seen since it was first built. Her forehead protector was safely tucked into her belt and her hair was kept away from her face by a red bandana.

"You going to talk about it?"

Sakura didn't look up as feet padded over and crouched down beside her furious scrubbing. "You're in my way."

"Sorry," the feet moved to the side and with a flop Naruto lent against the toilet cubical.

Sakura could feel his gaze on her back but ignored the annoyance it made her feel. She wiped up the access water with a rag and rung it back into the bucket. She stood up and emptied the dirty water into the sink and turned the tap. The hot water thundered into the porcelain sink and some of it splashed on her T-shirt. She didn't pay any attention. She closed her eyes and breathed in the steam and scent of lemon that clung to all the cleaning supplies and now herself. The silence didn't falter under the explosive noise of the tap. Naruto was being unusually patient but it didn't matter because she didn't feel like talking. She didn't feel like anything.

"I haven't seen the hospital this clean ever," Naruto mused "I mean everything practically sparkles. I bet if I peed in the urinal I would see my reflection."

Sakura hefted the bucket up with both hands and carried it into one of the cubical. She went to retrieve the lemon scented cleaner and bleach. She squirted a liberal dose into the bucket and plunged the brush into the solution. She then proceeded to wipe away the many penises and boobies that graffitied the toilet door.

"I skipped training to come see you. I know I haven't been around much, heh," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck and sighed chagrined "you've been going through so much and I haven't been a good friend. I keep leaving you alone when I shouldn't. I always expect Sakura to be there when I want her. I keep thinking just because you smile when you see me that you're smiling all the time. I never think that Sakura could be lonely when I leave and take most of her team mates with me. Even Sai comes to visit me more than you because he says I'm easier to understand. He doesn't get that Sakura is the much better person to know."

Sakura kept scrubbing the same spot until it looked like she would rub the paint away. Her eyes teared up but she didn't stop.

"And now Ino has left and she said goodbye to everyone but you," Naruto continued and Sakura wished he would stop "and it's taken me this long to realise how alone you are. I'm sorry Sakura I never thought. You're the strong one, I didn't think you would feel as abandoned as I used to. I'm sorry Sakura."

She broke when his voice cracked. The scrub brush fell from her hand and plopped back into the water. Her knee's hit the cold floor with a crack but she didn't notice the pain as she used her raw and blistered hands to cover her face and hide her tears. Naruto was there and pulling her into his arms and she sobbed huge undignified gasps that made her faces flame and snot run down her nose. Her voice sounded like a buzz saw as she breathed out loudly and inhaled with gasping breaths. "She left…she left…"

XxXx

"You have to meet me for lunch!" Naruto pointed his finger at her and declared loudly so that everyone in the street turned to look at him.

"Okay," Sakura nodded complacently. He had been so attentive to her that she couldn't help but feel a little guilty but she enjoyed spending time with him. Sai would join them occasionally and she started to appreciate his attempts at humour. He was silly in the way a five year old was. He was still learning and hadn't progress beyond 'knock knock' jokes but then again neither had Naruto so they made excellent friends. Naruto still did his secret training in the woods but now he took more breaks in order to check on her. She liked to think that it helped him as well, that way the guilt wouldn't haunt her too much.

"I'll see you at one! Your treat!" He grinned and ran off still taking the time to wave at her.

She waved until her arm was sore and he was out of sight. She then entered the hospital and grabbed her cleaning cart. She sighed as she was given the laundry duty. She hated that the most. She made her way down and was disgusted to find out that a bout of diarrhoea had hit the third floor. She of course was given those sheets to clean.

Her nose wrinkles and she fitted plastic glovers over her bandaged hands. She still wasn't allowed to heal herself so had to bear the bleach burned skin and pulsing blisters. They were her own fault, she should have taken the safety precautions but didn't see the point.

She threw the sheets into the large wooden tube and grimaced as the water immediately turned a light brown. She sat about washing the sheets and hanging them. When that was done she was put on general cleaning of the wards.

She traced the grooves of the woodwork with an old blunt scalpel working out the grime that had settled over the years.

"Oh, for goodness sakes who sees the dirt in there?!"

Sakura jerked her head up sharply to see Tsudane towering over her an exasperated and annoyed look on her face. Tsunade put her hands on her hips and loomed over Sakura menacingly. "You have done nothing but clean this place and shadow the doctors!"

Sakura wanted to furrow her brow in confusion. That had been what Tsudane had told her to do, but didn't as she thought the expression might offend the Hokage and this was the most civil thing Tsunade had said to her in months. It was actually the longest sentence she had said to her as well.

"Well? Are you a janitor or a medical ninja?!" Tsunade barked.

Sakura opened her mouth but didn't know what to say. She placed her blunt scalpel back in her cleaning trolley and stood up.

"Seeing you so damn lifeless annoys me!" Tsunade said her eyes shifting to the side only momentarily "as of now I officially forgive you! But the next time you even so much as try and disrespect me, I'll burry you, got that?!"

Sakura nodded furiously and dared to have a small smile.

Tsunade tugged her jacket downwards and smoothed it out. She nodded once "good, now get into your scrubs and at least act like the doctor you pretend to be."

Sakura did smile this time and embraced Tsunade quickly before running off to change into her scrubs. Tsunade watched her go with a smile that she swallowed when Shizune walked bye acting smug.

XxXx

It was midnight when Sakura knocked on Tsunade's door. Tsunade looked up from pretending to do paper work. The older woman's smile was genuine and Sakura smiled back enjoying the return to normalcy.

"What's up?" Tsunade asked throwing down her pen using Sakura as the perfect excuse to stop working.

"I've finally figured out what it was you wanted me to learn," Sakura said not stepping into the office. She was comfortable by the door and didn't plan to stay long.

"Oh? Lets hear it then," Tsunade said leaning back in her seat. She folded her hands behind her head and relaxed.

"There are many different types of ninja's. The most common are the ones like Naruto who uses his amazing strength to succeed and then there's ones like Shikamaru who uses his head," Sakura smiled as she remembered Ino's words of so long ago. Scrubbing was very therapeutic. It gave perspective. "Then there are one's like Ino. She isn't strong physically so she fights using her body and nimbleness. She's a true assassin and spy ninja. I thought she was weak because she didn't fight like Naruto or Sasuke. She disgusted me because I thought she couldn't be a good ninja unless she was strong. I was wrong." She took a deep breath because this was the hardest part "in hating Ino I hated myself because I didn't fight like them. I felt I was useless and got in the way but just because I don't fight like them doesn't mean I don't fight. It doesn't mean I'm worthless it just means that as a medical ninja, I contribute something other than physical strength. I'm going to train so that I can compliment Naruto's brawn and Sai's brain. I'll become the best ninja possible so I can enhance them and together, as a team we can bring Sasuke back."

Tsunade didn't react for a minute then said "I actually wanted you to learn that blondes have more fun but that's way better."

Sakura face vaulted. She left the office slightly despaired and didn't see Tsunade's grin. Sakura was her best student but she had been in serious need of a wake up call. Now that she was looked after Tsunade could go back to her actual job.


	10. Chapter 10

The sun hadn't even appeared in the sky when she walked to the closed city gates. The night watchmen shared twin looks of curiosity but didn't approach her. She had gained a reputation as a crazy female who wasn't 'all there' after she had attacked the Hokage. Not many people approached her if they weren't on first name bases with her. On the bright side she never had to wait in line anymore as people suddenly left when she entered a queue.

She didn't speak to the two men who were the only crazy people up at this time. She just sat in the middle of the closed gates a few feet away and waited. Eventually the sun dragged itself begrudgingly from its bed and crawled snail like across the sky. The two ninja's were replaced by refreshed guards who opened the city gates for morning business. Her butt had gone numb and she was forced to move from the middle of the street due to back pain. She now lent against the giant door frame of the village so she could stare out at the only road entrance to the village.

The sun was still crawling to its highest point when its avatar came to sit beside her. Naruto wordlessly passed over a bento box and began to eat. She smiled gratefully and in silence they consumed their food. Eventually Naruto chucked his box to the side and stretched out at her side using his arms as pillows as he lay across the thresh hold of the village. He was glared at by the few cart drivers that had to manoeuvre past them but none said a word as he was with the crazy bitch.

When the sun paused in the sky for a rest before starting its downward journey Kakashi-sensei appeared. He had his hands deep in his pockets and strolled over to them. He walked to Sakura's other side before flopping down and taking out his 'come come paradise book.' He placed cardboard takeaway boxes down lightly in front of Sakura. She passed one to Naruto and left Kakashi's opened at his side before eating her own. Kakashi read quietly and made sure not to block Sakura's view of the road.

The sun has started its descent when Naruto stood and stretched out a cramp in his leg and back. He rubbed his numb bum and tried to crack his spine. Sakura got up and helped him. He returned the favour and she stretched her neck and legs out before retaking her seat. Kakashi licked his finger and turned another page. They retook their seats.

The town buzzed and moved around them but they sat froze at the side just waiting.

The sun was weak and exhausted but still on its journey when Sai walked up. He opened his mouth to say something but the silence filled him and instead he sat down beside Naruto's sprawled frame and passed out the long paper wrapped baps he had brought. They ate quietly. Sai took out his own book on how to make friends. He glanced sideways at Naruto and his gangly frame before he tried to imitate him. He still looked stiff and uncomfortable but contented himself to wait like the others.

It was when the sun began to sink gratefully behind the mountains that a lone figure tiredly trudged down the road. Sakura stood straight away instinctively knowing who it was. She knew the walk and the posture could belong to no one else. Ino had finally come home. Her boys looked up at her and then at the figure coming down the road. Kakashi put away his book, Naruto sat up and Sai followed. As one they stood. Kakashi squeezed her shoulder and crinkled his eyes in a smile before he nonchalantly walked away returning his hands to his pockets. Naruto clapped her on the back hard and smiled widely at her. With a wiggle of his eyebrows he retreated waving. Sai hovered awkwardly in front of her for a second before smiling shyly and giving a tiny wave before he followed Naruto.

She took a step towards the exhausted figure that was almost within her grasp but stopped as a figure left the embrace of shadows to get to her first. Shikamaru was met with a warm hug and they conversed for a second before he stepped to the side. Ino the noticed her standing waiting. Her body tensed but her face smiled genuinely and she went to meet her with a renewed spring in her step. Sakura felt herself returning the smile.

Ino stopped, a foot of space separated them. It wasn't much and could easily be breached but Ino didn't have the right to do it. "She died," Ino said the first words Sakura had heard all day startled her "her own men killed her before I got there. My services weren't needed."

Sakura felt her smile stretch to fill her whole face and she embraced Ino breathing her in like she was oxygen and Sakura had been drowning. She closed her eyes and gripped back just as hard. She pulled away and taking Ino's hand dragged her back to her apartment. Ino laughed as she pushed her down on her bed and kissed her hard.

Ino laughed with joy as Sakura fumbled with her buttons. She gasped with pleasure as their naked flesh slid perfectly together before she cried in passion as Sakura's mouth writ the only words that consumed her that day.

I want to be with Ino. Forever.

XxXx

Sakura zipped up her jacket as she crept quietly out the door. She had left Ino a note to explain what she was doing but couldn't bring herself to wake Ino up. After last night and all the travelling Ino had done she deserved a rest. She made her way to the east side of the forest.

"Yo, Sakura!" Naruto called waving to her. He had bento boxes in his hands. He sat down on the step and handed her the other box when she went to join him. "I'm surprised you wanted to meet me so early after Ino's return. I thought you guys would be 'busy,'" he grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.

She laughed and swatted him on the shoulder lightly. "I wanted to talk to you seriously about a decision I've came to."

"Oh weally?" Naruto asked his mouth full of food. He gulped it down and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "What is it?"

"I'm going to quit team 7," Sakura said simply. Her chest ached at admitting the news out loud but she was resolved.

Naruto spewed, his food went everywhere and she screamed as bits of egg landed on her arm. "Ew! Naruto that's disgusting!"

"No, what's disgusting is you wanting to leave!" Naruto accused glaring at her.

"I'm sorry," she looked away from him then up at the clear sky. It mirrored her mind "I can't ask Ino to stop doing those types of missions if I can't give up something equally important. The thought of her touching another person and being with them makes me so angry…" she clenched her fist and it shook from the very idea of Ino being so personal with someone else.

Naruto stared at her for a long time before he looked away. He pulled his face into a pained smile before he nodded. He spoke using his quite thoughtful voice that rarely ever showed up. "Okay," it was his turned to look at the sky. He lent back and his eyes glistened slightly "when you were talking about Ino some of the old Sakura came back. You've been walking around in a dream since she left, totally different from normal. If being with Ino makes you happy, and this is the only way you can be with Ino then you have to do it," he looked directly at her and his understanding and compassion was so profound Sakura felt herself tearing up. This was probably the first time she realised that Naruto would make a great Hokage. "We'll always be friends, Sakura and even if you don't go on missions, you'll still be a part of team 7."

"Naruto…" she threw her arms around him tearfully and they fell over. She didn't care she still clung on to him. How much he had grown. He was the best man she ever knew or would know.

He laughed embarrassed and pretended to try and push her away. He even kicked his legs comically in the air to give emphasis to his meaningless protests.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

They both looked up at Ino's stern face as she towered above them. Her arms were folded and she glared down at the pair. They broke away quickly. "It's not what it looks like!" Naruto spluttered.

"Obviously," Ino scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Hey, why don't you sit down and share my breakfast?" Sakura offered her deserted meal to the blonde but Ino turned away stuffily and stuck her nose in the air.

"I don't think so, I only came to stop you making a fool of yourself like usual," Ino said harshly and Sakura was stunned at the tone. Naruto frowned. "I got that note that said you're off to quit team 7 because you can't take me being a ribbon ninja," Ino flicked her hair back and declared "for your information I planned to quit anyway but not because of you. I've decided to become part of the intelligence network." Ino flashed a quick grin at Sakura before she stomped off.

"Wow what a bitch," Naruto glared after her.

Sakura shook her head grinning "she was only pretending to be that way but it means that I don't have to quit team 7! And I get to keep Ino all to myself!"

"You can stay?!" Naruto said cheering up immediately.

"Yep!" Sakura nodded frantically and Naruto hugged her hard and they bounced up and down together.

XxXx

"Hey!" Sakura put a burst of speed into her tired gait to catch up with Kakashi.

Kakashi turned and smiled waiting for her to reach him before he walked on. It was early in the morning so he was probably going to meet Naruto to train. She had just got off the night shift in the hospital and was postponing bed in order to talk to her teacher.

"Sakura," he greeted his eye twinkling kindly. He tilted his head to the side and took her in. From anyone else the gesture would have been sleezy but he made it seem caring. "You need to get out more, you're too pale."

She laughed "I'll keep that it mind. I just wanted to tell you that you were right."

"It's always good to be told that," he said lightly still smiling.

She rolled her eyes and gently butted him with her shoulder. "I didn't really know who I was or what my job was in the team. I do now. I'm going to be the best medical ninja so that I can patch Sai and Naruto up. Together we can save Sasuke. It also means that you can't be my teacher but I want you to know that I owe you so much and I'll always think of you as my sensei." She walked away before her tears could fall and she embarrassed them both.

A gently hand restrained her. Instead of turning her to face him Kakashi moved. He crouched down and his eyes narrowed and she imaged that he was smiling widely. "Ah, Sakura-chan," he mocked gently stressing his words and shaking his head "you don't give your old teacher enough credit. Even a medical ninja needs to be trained in other areas. We can't have you falling behind your boys now can we?"

She blinked shocked. What was going on?

"Let's go," he nodded to the forest and began to guide her that way. "Along with Chakra control, endurance and stamina are also very important qualities for a medical ninja. You must also learn to dodge but I guess Hokage-sama would have already taught you the basics," she swore he grinned evilly at her "now we can start with the hard stuff."

Joy and excitement bubbled through her at the thought of finally being able to train. She felt right for the first time in months. Her skin paled and trepidation gnawed at her as Kakashi seemed to grow excited at the prospect of training her also. She had just remembered that this man had a sadistic streak the size of her forehead.

XxXx

A/N: Yay! We're nearing the end finally!


	11. Chapter 11

"Oh God, kill me now," Sakura moaned collapsing on the grass beside one of the Naruto's.

"It doesn't work trust me," Naruto said as all his clones vanished and he felt their fatigue a hundred times over. He groaned and rolled onto his side away from Sakura.

"It's alright for you, you should be used to this and you didn't spend the night attending patients," Sakura argued half heartedly wanting everyone to know her plight and pity her. She wished Ino would come and scoop her up and into a nice warm bath then let her sleep for a week.

"All Kakashi did was play tag with you," Naruto said back feeling thoroughly sorry for himself. He had suffered way worse than Sakura.

Sakura raged indignantly at the accusation but it cost so much effort that she soon gave up. Kakashi hadn't simply played 'tag' with her. He had hunted her down and proceeded to beat the crap out of her when he got her. She had to run away, hide and defend herself. She wasn't allowed to hit back, he had cheerfully said that he'll think about letting her fight back next time. The way things was going she didn't think she would make it to 'next time.'

"Hello."

They both squinted up at the pale figure blocking the sun. Naruto groaned and hid his face in the grass as Sai smiled nervously down at them. Sakura honestly tried to wave but her arm only twitched in response to the command. She grunted feeling she needed to acknowledge their friend somehow.

"I brought lunch," Sai said holding up a basket.

Naruto jerked his head up "lunch?" He then heaved himself up, huffing heavily at the movement.

She eyed the basket and wondered if it would be to much to ask Sai to feed her. She decided that that was a line that would give her nightmares if crossed so abandoned the idea. She took a deep breath in preparation of making herself move. Sai was nice enough to pull her into a sitting position when she groaned and hovered a centimetre of the ground before flopping back. Crap, she had to use chopsticks for the ramen. She looked at Sai again but shook her head at the thought. If only Ino was here.

"She left," Sai said.

Sakura frowned not aware she had spoken out loud "huh?"

"Ino, she left," Sai said eating his own ramen.

"What? Why? Where?" It was news to her.

"Ino left. I don't know where she went but it was after we talked," Sai thought for a moment "she looked sort of angry."

Sakura felt dread curl around her stomach and yank hard "Sai, what did you talk about?"

"You," he answered simply. The dread doubled.

"What did you say?"

"Well, I said that I was glad that Sakura finally loved Ino as you're much happier," Sai smiled and Sakura for some reason still didn't relax. There had to be more. She wordlessly encouraged him to go on. "Ino said she was glad too and I agreed saying that she must remember to send Tsunade flowers for forcing you two to stay together."

Her eyes bugged out of her sockets. She gagged on nothing and wanted to smack Sai so hard. He wasn't done "she then asked me to repeat what I had said, apparently you didn't tell her about the blackmail deal. She was very distraught and immediately closed the shop," Sai said thinking he was being helpful.

"Why the hell did you say anything to her?!" She demanded wishing she had the energy to leap at the pale boy.

He frowned at the anger in her tone sensing that he had done something wrong but couldn't figure out what it was. "To get along better with friends one must accept their partners," Sai quoted from the chapter of a book he was reading on how to make friends. He pulled it out of his bag and gave it to Sakura. The chapter was book marked. "To show that they accept the partner the friend must voice his or her pleasure at the relationship and through conversation get to know the other person," he had studied the chapter extensively in order to impress Sakura and show her how much her friendship meant to him.

"You idiot Sai!" Naruto yelled snatching the book away before Sakura could ram it down his throat "what are you doing believing books for?! Nothing good ever came from them!"

Sakura shook with rage but a bigger emotion assaulted her chest. It dwarfed her fury and placed vices around her body. She was going to loose Ino. Ino would leave and she would have broken her heart because of a stupid ignorant mistake she had made another lifetime ago. The feeling rose up to choke her and she channelled it into a desperate energy. The feeble fuel resource gave her the strength to push herself to her feet and without a word she ran for the village.

She crumbled against the door of the flower shop her lungs burning and legs shaking uncontrollably. She tried to ignore it and bang on the door. She gazed through the window to see Ino's father looking up from the counter. He shook his head and turned and walked away into the back room. She hammered again on the door. Her voice was desperate as she called "Ino! Ino are you in there?! Ino just listen to me!"

"Sakura-chan!" Lee's cheery voice called over her own.

She had already attracted a crowd with her yelling and banging but more gathered as Lee joined the picture. They all remembered the last spectacle he caused and were anxious to see if they could get another laugh out of the situation. Sakura ignored the mini-Gai behind her. She still pounded on the door. "Ino! Ino, come on. Sai doesn't know what he's talking about!"

"It seems that Yamanka-san is ignoring you," he said sliding up to her with what he thought off as a charming grin. He placed his hand around her sweaty shoulders and had the decency or the density not to comment on her less than fresh state "why don't you come out on a date with me instead?"

"No Lee. Beat it," she shrugged his arm away and tried to nicely brush him off.

"Aw come on! I'm sure if Sakura-chan goes out with me even once she will fall in love with my youthfulness and boyish spirit!" Lee pulled her away from the door.

She turned and viciously hit Lee across the jaw. He flew to the side and the crowd gasped in shock. The hive of people buzzed angrily at Lee's treatment but Sakura had fear and anger pounding in her ears so she couldn't hear anything. "LEE GO AWAY, I WON'T LOVE YOU! I LOVE INO!"

Lee looked like she had punched him again. His face crumbled and he quickly pushed himself up and away. He broke through the crowd and disappeared. She felt guilt pierce her but she didn't have time for his foolishness. She turned back to the flower shop when the crowd started to shout angrily at her. A tin was thrown, narrowly missing her. She was to exhausted to deal with this. Ino could be anywhere by now. She could be half a world away. Her heart clenched painfully. The crowd was pushing at each other threatening to become a mob. She placed her back against the door of the flower shop and wished Ino were there. She could calm them down. Everyone loved her.

Another can was thrown at her, her arms jerked up to defend her out of reflex but buckled when hit due to her tiredness. She gasped as the full tin collided with her head. The crowd cheered and grew braver closing in on her. Something else was thrown and she tried to dodge but fatigue bit at her feet tripping them and making them slower. A rock hit her hip. She doubled over and rubbed the area while simultaneously trying to keep a look out for more projectiles. She hoped that Ino wouldn't find her beaten to death on her doorstep. Though considering how much she had hurt her she would probably welcome the sight. Her heart clenched again.

"Lay off!"

She looked up to see Kiba in front of her. Akamaru stood in front of him growling at the crowd. The angry buzzing grew weary at the new comer and the beast but didn't immediately retreat. "Can't pick on anything but an exhausted girl huh?" Kiba growled disgusted.

"She hit Lee!" One faceless mobster called taking comfort in the masses.

"She's crazy! She assaulted the Hokage!" Another called and was encouraged by the angry growls of the rest of the hive.

"She ruined my restaurant!" The last voice yelled and the fevered calling of the crowd spurred him to throw the rock he had in his hand.

The rock hit Kiba solidly in the shoulder and he grunted in pain. The new comer lost his power as the crowd realised he could be hurt. More rocks and bottles were thrown. Kiba protected her as best he could and she was so touched.

"I'm sorry," she said feeling the need to apologise "I didn't mean to snap at you in the woods."

"Forget it," he growled as a glass bottle smashed against his back.

This had gotten out of hand. She had no idea where all this pent up aggression was coming from but she couldn't let her friends get hurt because of her careless actions. "Stop it!" She screamed and the crowed did. She looked at them in amazement. Maybe she was more powerful than she thought.

"Sorry it took to long but I wanted to make sure I got all of them."

She looked around to find Shikamaru and Chouji standing in the shadows. Chouji smiled and waved at her and she looked at them like they were big green aliens. They were the last people she expected to see helping her. Part of the crowd that wanted to kill her yes, but not stopping them. The crowd struggled against Shikamaru's shadow jutsu.

"Shikamaru? Chouji?" Sakura let her confused voice ask the question.

"Ino's not in the flower shop. She's at Karunai's apartment," Shikamaru said his brow sweating from the strain of holding so many people "you better get there before she does something stupid."

Sakura's heart plummeted and her body felt like led.

"Here, take this," Chouji threw her a small black pill.

She immediately took the soldier pill. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you got over your fixation of apples," Shikamaru replied drolly then flinched and fell to his knees "hurry up and go, we'll take care of these!"

She looked unsurely about her but Kiba was already pushing her away. He growled at her to go and with renewed energy she took off to Kurenai's apartment.

XxXx

The borrowed strength of the soldier pill surged through her washing away her fatigue as she leapt from roof to roof. She saw Kurenai's balcony and didn't slow. She crashed threw the double doors. Ino looked up startled and dropped her tea cup. Kurenai was already up with a shirkin in her hand. Seeing Sakura she relaxed. Sakura wanted to throttle her. She wanted to drive her fist into the long horse like face and keep pounding until the other woman was nothing more than a messy pile of ruby flesh and broken bone.

She ignore that desire and dropped to her knees in front of Ino. She took her hands and pleaded with her eyes "Ino, Sai's an idiot. It's true what he told you, I didn't love you at the start but I never pretended to. Yes, Tsunade-sama made me stay with you as a punishment and at times it did feel that way but that's changed now. I really do love you. I want to keep loving you. Don't go to her. Come home with me."

Ino looked from her sincere eyes to Kurenai behind her. Her eyes softened and Sakura felt like she was going to die. Ino freed one hand from her tight grip and stroked her face. It felt like a goodbye. She gripped harder. "I knew you didn't love me Sakura. I just didn't know you were being forced to stay with me. Honestly I don't care about that because I know you love me now," Ino kissed her softly but the dread in Sakura's stomach was still there "but you should know that I tricked you."

XxXx

"I tricked you."

The words rang in Sakura's ears and she slowly drew her hands away. Her face warped into horror. Ino tricked her? Did she not actually love her? Was it all a game? Had she been secretly laughing with Kurenai, haha look at silly Sakura falling in love with me when I don't feel the same.

"I've been in love with you since I was a child. I told you but you kept ignoring me. You never looked at me as anything other than an annoyance and I couldn't take it anymore. I came heartbroken to Kurenai and she helped me devise a plan to get you. That stuff about the red ribbon is a lie. It does happen and is probably in the village at the moment but I'm not part of it nor have I ever been. I'd been watching for your return so I could make it look like you had caught us, but the whole time I was manipulating you so that you would fall in love with me. And you did," Ino said with bittersweet joy a strained smile quivered on her face.

Sakura drew back her face awash with mixed emotion. She stood and turned away. One hand reached to massage her neck and the other grasped at the air looking for answers. She didn't know what to think.

"And you know what?" Ino continued tearfully standing as well "I don't regret it. I love you so damn much Sakura and now you finally love me. Except that's a lie because I tricked you and I should feel guilty. A good person would feel guilty but I don't and its tearing me apart," she could hear the tears in Ino's voice but didn't turn.

Her head filled with images of Ino. Ino smiling at her across the breakfast table when Tsunade was giving her a hard time. Ino rolling her eyes at Naruto's antics. Ino indulging her bad taste in movies. Ino laughing exuberantly as she flipped her over in bed. Ino just sitting on her sofa after she had had a long day at the hospital. Her fingers combing through her hair until she fell asleep only to wake and find herself in bed cuddled up to the blonde. That was the Ino she knew. Loved. Was she real?

The silence stretched and filled with a sadness that weighted it down. It cloaked their bodies and made her feel so much heavier. The dread had left her but was replaced with a hallow ach. She didn't know what to do. Her feet would move to the door but every pain and strain she had felt from the constant training was forcing itself on her. The mental anguish was worse than every tremble and burn of her muscles. Ino's soft hand rested on her upper arm gently non intrusively and that area immediately felt better. She turned on instinct to the side and took Ino in. For the first time she actually saw her. The heartbroken, fatally flawed individual that made her heart beat.

"Hi," she said at last snapping the silence with the feeble syllable "I'm Haruno Sakura. I want to be a great medical ninja and better friend. Do you maybe want to go out on a date some time?"

Ino laughed and joy glisten in her tear stained face as she pressed her lips together and nodded "I'm Yamanka Ino and I would love to."

They both smiled wetly at each other.

XxXx

The next chapters the last! We're nearly at the end folks!


	12. Chapter 12

All the important people in Sakura's life turned up to help her celebrate her birthday. Her team, her father, Tsunade and Ino. Ino had also brought along her parents and her two friends that had recently only started to like her. Even Shizune came. That had been a surprise in itself but she was glad she invited her at the last minute. the way the older woman smiled at her really showed that she wasn't as bad as she first thought.

"Here, open mine first," Shizune passed a neatly wrapped purple package with an orange bow to Sakura.

"Wow," Sakura said admiring the packaging. Ino rolled her eyes and shared an exasperated look with Naruto. Sakura glared at them and opened the present extra slowly to annoy them. "Oh," she gasped as she pulled out a full length dress that wouldn't look out of place in a palace. It even her favourite shade of red. "Shizune, thank you so much," she didn't say she shouldn't have because she liked the gift.

"Now Ino will have to take you somewhere nice to wear it," Shizune smiled and it was obvious she was proud of herself.

Sakura smirked at Ino and accepted another gift. It was in a brown paper bag and in messy marker her name was scrawled. She opened the bag that had been merely rolled downwards to close. "Who's this from?" she tired her best not to let her thoughts show on her face.

"That's mine," Kakashi said raising a hand lightly not at all embarrassed.

Sakura perked up and tore into the bag more eagerly. She pulled out the item and the whole table blinked.

"Sensei stole my savings to buy Sakura a banana?" Naruto fumed glaring at the silver haired man that smiled.

"You need to work on your stamina," Kakashi nodded also proud of himself.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto raged "give me my money back!"

"The 'Come come paradise' movie had a convention," he explained.

Sakura laughed and didn't feel annoyed at all. Ino's parents didn't get her anything but offered to pay for the meal. She refused thinking that Mr Yamado not glaring at her was gift enough. And she had already made Tsunade promise to pay for the dinner. Naruto was still grumbling when he passed his present to her . She opened it and smiled. She took out the ocean blue pendant and put it on. It didn't actually go with her yellow dress that Ino got her but it made Naruto smile widely.

"I got it off the monks at the temple, they said that it will stop you going to hell and protects against those gay diseases!" Naruto chirped happily.

Sakura's smile froze and she shifted. "Thanks," she said knowing that Naruto was being clueless. He was amazingly perceptive, sometimes. Then other times he said things like that. She smiled at him "thank you so much Naruto."

He nodded proud of himself. Sai then eagerly presented his gift. It was a beautiful scroll tied with a gold ribbon. She smiled at him since he seemed so nervous. She opened it up then shut it quickly horrified and hoping no one else had seen inside.

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked.

Said frowned and looked hurt "did I do it wrong? Maybe if you touch them, the invoke word is 'nipan.'"

Sakura cast about furiously for an answer "it's not that. That was very…very…" she blew her breath out in shock. "Thank you Sai," and she smiled though it seemed a bit weak. She quickly tucked his gift away. Ino looked at her inquisitively but she shook her head ordering her not to ask. "Thanks very much everyone."

"Wait," Shikamaru said as Chouji sat a white square box in front of her "this is from us."

She opened the box with trepidation. She half expected to find a box full of apples but was surprised when she found many different bottles of hair care and bath products.

"Hey! That's my birthday gift!" Ino said outraged.

Shikamaru and Chouji shrugged "she's a girl we didn't know what else to do."

"Thank you," Sakura said touched. She hadn't expected them to get her anything. Chouji smiled at her then reached for another bread roll to chew on. Shikamaru just nodded. She didn't know if he had fully forgiven her yet but she was willing to hope.

XxXx

Sakura ran up to Kiba who was unusually neat and tidy in his best clothes. He was figiting at a table with Hinata who looked equally as uncomfortable. When they saw her they both sighed in relief.

"Sakura where's the rest of the party?" Kiba asked.

"Yeah," Sakura said pretending to look disappointed "something came up and we have to go on missions. But the table and meal is all paid for so you shouldn't waste it! I'm really sorry guys, but have fun!" She then quickly ran away before she had to answer any questions. Kiba better appreciate this and not mess up his chance. She glanced back over her shoulder to see Kiba valiantly try and woe Hinatta. She hoped he got a break.

Now she only had one more thing left to do before she could go home and enjoy her birthday with Ino.

She found Lee in the training yard whacking away at a naked stump. His rhythmic thudding came to a stop when he saw her approach. She smiled at him and he grinned weakly back. "Sakura-san, happy birthday. I'm sorry I couldn't come to your party."

"We're still friends Lee, that is if you want to be," she said getting straight to the heart of the matter.

Lee clutched his arm and looked uncomfortable. He didn't meet her eyes as he responded "of course we're still friends…"

"Lee, come on tell me what's wrong? I know you don't like me in that way, not really," she said touching his arm. He stepped back from her and she covered her hurt.

"I always liked Sakura-chan," Lee said and Sakura took heart that she was back to 'chan' instead of 'san.'

"Yeah but not in that way," she said.

"Gai-sensei," Lee started but cut himself off.

"What bout him?" Sakura probed.

"He thinks I'm…" and Lee blushed bright "…gay."

"What?!" Sakura exclaimed in surprise. Then she thought about it and lowered her voice trying to be understanding "well Lee if you-"

"I'm not!" the other boy thundered angrily then quickly assured her "not that there's anything wrong with that! It's just I don't like men and Gai-sensei keeps trying to set me up with them! I thought if you became my girlfriend it would stop but then he saw me in drag that one day and it got worse!"

Sakura could feel her laughter trying to get out. She stuffed it down and ordered her lips not to smile. "It got worse?"

"Yeah, he tried to take me dress shopping," Lee moaned "no matter what I tell him he thinks I'm trying to hide in the closet. He gives me speeches about how I can still fulfil my boyish youthfulness with other boys."

Sakura couldn't help it. She began to laugh softly. She slapped a hand over her mouth to quieten the escaping giggles. Lee glared at her "it's not funny!" He yelled "he's set me up on a date with Sai this weekend!"

"With Sai?!" Sakura said her shock cutting through the giggles sharply.

"Yeah, apparently he got curious when you started dating Yamanka-san and now he wants to try it himself," Lee said rolling his eyes.

"I-I'll talk to him," Sakura promised.

"Please do it before Saturday," Lee begged.

"You know I'm pretty sure Ino could find you a date. She likes match making," and it would stop Lee from going after her which she thought Ino might like.

"Really?!" Lee creid hopefully.

Sakura nodded "that would be great Sakura-chan! Please thank Yamanka-san for me!"

"So are we okay?" She asked just to make sure.

Lee smiled at her and nodded "there's no hard feelings though you have one impressive right hook. You'll have to show me how you use your Chakra control for that."

"That's my secret jutsu!" She wagged her finger at Lee playfully "you'll have to beat it out of me!"

"I don't think I would survive your girlfriend," he grimaced and she laughed.

"I have to get back to her now but I'll talk to her about setting you up with a girl!" Sakura promise.

"Don't forget about Saturday!" Lee called after her but she didn't think she could get the image of Lee and Sai dating each other out of her head.

XxXx

"So, what was it that Sai got you for your birthday?" Ino asked coyly as Sakura entered her apartment. "don't think I didn't notice you quickly stuffing it away."

"He drew me toys," Sakura said mortified and intrigued in a confusing way. She didn't think she would be able to look at the toys without thinking of Sai which pretty much killed any sex drive she had. She went over to her pile of presents and pulled out the scroll and passed it to Ino who sat on the couch.

Ino took it with a grin. The grin slowly flickered then faded as her eyes followed each carefully scripted line. Some of the drawings were very intricate. Slowly Ino looked up from the scroll and Sakura could see the beginnings of a flush crawl over her skin. She grinned widely. Without saying a word. Sakura turned and began to hum the happy birthday tune as she walked very nonchalantly into her bedroom.

"So, what did he say the release word was?" Ino asked following Sakura eagerly.

Sakura felt her grin deepen. For once it wasn't her begging for sex. She had the upper hand. "Oh, you know some nonsense word, I don't really recall."

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Ino said.

Sakura's smile deepened and she nodded "oh yeah. How long did you dangle me on a string for? Five months? Six? No, eight long months."

Ino joined her on the bed and tried to seduce her by doing the sexy crawl forward. Sakura did indulge herself in the show watching Ino's breasts and ass sway enticingly. "Are you going to tell me the release word now?"

"I'm still thinking about it," Sakura said not looking up from Ino's half exposed chest "you still haven't given me my present."

Ino sat back and Sakura pouted but brightened when Ino took off her top. She knew it was sexy lingerie time! The deep cut of the bra teased the viewer with ruffles that looked exceptionally soft. Sakura bounced up and down in place. She reached for Ino and was pulled upward into a searing kiss.

"Will you tell me now?" Ino asked.

"Nipan," Sakura didn't hesitate as she pulled Ino back in for another kiss.

"I want to see what that horses head thing does," Ino said as they broke apart and she reached for the scroll.

"Yeah," Sakura said uncertainly "we can try that on you…"

XxXx

"HOW DARE YOU!"

"What?! I only said that it didn't fit!"

"YOU CALLED ME FAT!"

"I did not! I'm just saying a bigger size woul-uff!"

"What's going on?" Temari asked watching as Sakura staggered out of the flower shop only to be hit with a bouquet of sunflowers.

"Oh?" Shikamaru looked to see Sakura hurl the flowers violently back inside "that? It's just Ino and Sakura."

"Ino and Sakura?" Temari repeated in confusion.

"Yeah, they fight a lot now," Shikamaru said with a shrugged trying to pull Temari along the street in case Ino came out and tried to drag him into the argument.

"Why? Are they fighting over another guy?" Temari said not moving. This was an interesting scene to her so she wanted to watch. The other villagers barely paid any attention having seen the same thing plenty of times before.

"You've been gone for awhile," Shikamaru replied instead. Temari looked at him in confusion.

"Did you just throw these at me?" Ino said, her voice deadly in its softness as she marched out of the flower shop the abused sunflowers strangled in her grip.

"Yeah I did. You're being irrational," Sakura glared back just as fiercely.

"Another fight?" Temari turned to see Lee coming to stand beside her also peering down the street.

"So it really does happen all the time?" She asked. Shikamaru liked to trick her to make her seem foolish.

"Oh, yeah. It's worse when they make up, they're so loud," Lee complained but then hearts darted into his eyes "oh, but its so romantic!"

"See? It's things like that that makes Gai-sensei think you're gay," Naruto joined the huddle with Sai in toe.

"No, its because your team mate won't stop asking me out!" Lee said furiously even as he edged away from Sai.

Sai smiled benignly at Lee and searched his backpack.

"What are you guys doing here?" Shikamaru asked not really caring but wanted the conversation to be over so he could drag Temari back to his place. He had made the effort to clean up so he was getting something out of it.

"We have a mission," Naruto said "that's probably what brought the fight on. They always have fights before we go away so they won't miss each other."

"How can you say that's not sweet?!" Lee cried.

"Because unlike you I actually am a man," Naruto baited. He loved to annoy Lee. Lee flushed and grew angry. He took a deep breath to launch his own tirade.

"Come on lets go," Sakura muttered as she grabbed Naruto's hand and walked between the group. Everyone jumped to see her but she didn't pay them any attention as she nursed the side of her scratched face. "Stupid women, I'm turning straight I'm not putting up with this anymore…" and she muttered on.

Naruto waved goodbye to the group as he was dragged away. Sai had finally found what he was looking for and passed a rolled up scroll to Lee. "I'm told that pictures are worth a thousand words," he said with a smile before following the rest of his team.

Lee crumpled the paper up "aren't you even going to look at it?" Temari asked.

"No, it's a hentai drawing of us. I have enough to make my own yaoi collection," Lee said wearily.

"Oh," Temari said watching carefully as Lee chucked the scroll over his shoulder and walked away. Shikamaru stooped down and picked it up. Without saying anything he handed it to Temari. She didn't move to take it and he raised his eyebrow at her. She snatched it off him in a huff. She turned away and greedily opened it "oh," she breathed.

Shikamaru took her hand and led her unresisting form to his apartment. Eh, he thought, whatever gets her in the mood.

XxXx

Sakura threw her duffle bag down on the floor beside her bed with a sigh. It was good to be home. She smiled around their room and rolled her eyes as she discover Ino had stolen her pillow again. She reached over to return it to its rightful place. Ino was forever stealing her stuff, no matter how much she complained that the blondes big chest stretched her jumpers she never listened. Secretly Sakura liked smelling their scents mixed on her clothes but she wouldn't tell Ino that.

The door opened just as she straightened up. Ino flew into her arms and kissed her like a desperate man. She kissed back just as fiercely. She was roughly pushed down on the bed and her good mood fled at the gleam in Ino's eyes. "No!" She said pointing her finger accusingly at the blonde "no, I'm just back! I stink! You're not-whoa!" Sakura was shut up with a yank on her pants.

"No! Ino I mean it! I'm disgusting! I have three moths worth of hair on my legs!" she tried to scramble away but Ino dragged her back.

"I like hairy women," Ino said finally succeeding in tearing Sakura's trousers down to her ankles. She didn't even give the other woman time to kick her shoes off before she was on top of her.

"No! Ino-" Skaura tried to protest but its came out muffled as Ino squashed their lips together.

"Don't worry I'll let you keep your top on," Ino said pulling at Sakura's panties "there are some things even you can't make look cute."

"Just let me shave!" Sakura begged "I feel like a cave man! Ino! Ino! Ohhh, Ino…"

XxXx

Sakura glared at the very satisfied blonde sitting across from her at the table. "You didn't even let me shower alone."

"You were gone for three months and I had only been back from a three week mission before you left. I missed you," she shrugged not caring that Sakura wanted to pretend to be upset.

Sakura stewed for a while but eventually gave up. She didn't have anything to be upset about except Ino saw her all natural for the first time. She would have liked to keep the illusion that she was born that perfect and hairless for a little while longer but at least she got some great sex out of it "I went to a fortune teller when I was away."

"Oh? Really?" Ino asked eating her ramen in a dignified fashion like she hadn't just made her girlfriend faint in the shower.

"Yeah, Naruto's going to be a teacher and Sai's going to get Lee," Sakura said laughing.

"And what's in your future?" Ino said semi serious. She put down her chop sticks.

"I'm going to be a wife," Sakura said staring at Ino intently.

Ino blushed and looked down pleased. "But you know those fortune tellers are a load of crap don't you?" Sakura laughed enjoying teasing Ino.

Ino's head shot up furious and her eyes glittered dangerously while Sakura laughed. She stood up and was about to shout something when voices from outside drew their attention to the window.

"Fine! I give up!" Lee cried in full view of the ramen shop window. He turned around quickly and Sakura thought he was going to punch the pursuing Sai. She gasped in shock as Lee grabbed the other boy by his shirt front and kissed him. She sat stunned, her mouth hanging wide open. Ino turned to her smugly and said "what's your ring size?"

XxXx

A/N: And we're finished! I'm leaving it somewhat open in case I feel like writing a sequel but that might be a while since I'm busy with another Naruto fic called Baby hell. Check it out if you feel like some lighter Sakura/Ino after all this!


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